The Darkness is Singing
by Iwovepizza
Summary: Most thought Artemis had killed the last demon, however there was one left. One with green eyes like a viper's and hair as black as a raven's feathers. An immortal, unstoppable killing machine that was born and created in darkness. The gods are powerless against it, and time is the one weapon that the Seven don't have. Tick tock goes the clock...even for the demigods. AU
1. Exorcizamus te

**(A/N) Hello, my name is Iwovepizza.** ** _For the record, there will be no Pertemis._** **I don't care whether you approve or not, but I believe that Artemis doesn't fall in love so easily and certainly would never break her vow of maidenhood, if it even can be broken. With that aside I'd like to introduce a new AU idea that I, personally, have never seen before in my entire experience on this site, so therefore there is guaranteed originality. I hope. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS**

And it was in darkness so darkness it became. As it approached the shimmering water, it raised its head and took a deep breath through its mouth, tasting the air. However aside from the birds, which were silent in the trees at its approach, there was nothing in particular that would alarm it. It strained its ears and reached out into the depths of the forest, and even then not a sound could be heard that wasn't made by the native wildlife. Nevertheless the figure was certainly not native, and it scanned the darkness with eyes the color of a raging sea, its pupils slitting like a snake's and then returning to normal. It skimmed the area once more and leaned down to take a drink, cupping its hands and bringing the unsatisfying water up to its lips. The stars shined down critically upon it, barely outlining its ominous form. Its silhouette was not in any way paranormal, but despite this it only made it all the more easier for the thing to kill you.

The clearing in which the small pond lay was swathed in complete and utter darkness, but the darkness was its home. It lived in the darkness and feasted on the terror of those who feared it. On the outside it looked like a teenage boy. His hair was a glossy black that shone against the moon's white-blue glow, and his skin was sickeningly pale, like that of a fresh corpse. Its veins were defined against its skin, spider webs of blue racing up and down its arms and outlined against its neck like streams drawn upon a map. However the most daunting thing were its eyes. They were a deep green, just as wild and dangerous as a viper's, and the pupils could even slit like a viper's as well. Its eyes were filled with a sharp intelligence, as well as a power that one who was not acquainted with its kind would not care to notice. It turned, its mouth dripping with water, and doubled over; coughing it all up onto the grass, which withered and died as the water droplets, which had been normal and untainted before, touched their stems.

It growled, a low sound that was more akin to the growl of a panther than that of a teenaged boy. Nevertheless it was more menacing, and it wove through the hearts of the animals nearby like a disease, freezing them into a terrified stillness. That was the growl of a hunter, a hunter whose thirst could not be satisfied with water but rather with blood, whose cravings could not be contented by human food but with the flesh of the humans themselves. No animal made that sound, at least no animal from this world. The huntress was well aware of this, and had taken it upon herself to track this beast down, secretly afraid despite her power. She hadn't even told her band of ragtag huntresses where she had been going, only had advised the head, Thalia, to watch over them in her absence. She picked her way through the brush in the form of a stag, her large horns grazing the low-hanging branches and foliage. She looked like a stag, smelled like a stag, and did her best to act like a stag, praying that the monster had not been alerted of her presence. However despite her cunning disguise, it raised its head in alarm, clearly startled.

The huntress cursed herself when she realized that she was the only "animal" that was moving at the moment. The birds were petrified in the trees, the rabbits and squirrels like statues, and yet here she was blundering through the foliage. She knew that, had she not been so utterly terrified, she would not have made such a mortifying mistake, but the deed had been done and it was best to stop beating around the bush. The huntress broke through the trees and emerged into the clearing. The night was utterly silent, the new moon but a black smudge in a star-spangled sky. Even then, the stars seemed fearful. Orion suddenly didn't look very sure as he raised his club and Ursa Major seemed to cower in fear.

"Oh, hello Artemis. I thought you'd show up at one time or another. It's a pleasure to meet you." Its voice was as cold as ice, and just as sharp and deadly. The stag's fur melted into its skin and was replaced by a silver ski jacket, blue jeans, and black combat boots. Her horns folded in on themselves, her ears shortened as well as her snout, and her short tail and hooves disappeared. In place of the stag was a young girl, roughly thirteen, with silvery eyes that could pierce the hearts of anyone who confronted her, however they did not seem to faze the monster in the slightest. Despite the fact that the year was still well into summer and the weather was supposed to be fairly warm, her breath clouded the air. The temperature seemed to plummet whenever it was around and, despite its mundane appearance, Artemis was well aware of the killer hidden beneath.

"I would like to say the same for you, had you not just slaughtered an entire family in Kingston. By the time I arrived, it was too late. You have quite the appetite; you gobbled them up and licked the floor clean. It was like no one was ever there, and the mortal authorities believe they simply disappeared." she replied, her tone guarded and portraying no emotion whatsoever.

"That is a fair point, but I'm not sure if you were addressing me or the air." it sneered, revealing fangs that would cause hellhounds to either make a run for their money or flee for their life. Probably both.

"Have I offended you in any way?" she asked, the politeness in her voice laced with a ferocious venom. She kept one hand on her silver bow and the other on her two daggers that were nestled inside her jacket pocket.

"No, it's just that I'd like to be addressed by my name, if you please." Its snarky demeanor was causing Artemis to become quite irritated, and the only reason this monstrosity wasn't in Tartarus was because she needed to be prepared to hunt others like it, if there was even such thing left in the world. She was studying its movements, its posture, and its eyes. However it didn't seem the slightest bit alarmed at the fact that it was being hunted by the moon goddess, and the green orbs that swirled with hatred and malevolence portrayed nothing more.

"In my opinion, all monsters are the same and do not deserve to have ownership of names. And I don't understand why you'd be drinking from a lake when your kind's stomachs can only digest flesh and blood." she hissed, her silvery aura glowing dangerously brighter.

"In all honesty, I have no idea why I even tried. It was an attempt to try and adapt in order to integrate into the mortal ranks. I already look like a walking cadaver, wouldn't you agree? But if humans see me eating and drinking, they'll get lulled into a false sense of security. Then it's easier to knock on their doors, take a sip of water, give them a winning sweet-boy-next-door smile, say I'm collecting for some charity, and bingo, I'm inside. Mortal homes have always confused me; they block sound from getting in, but wouldn't you want sound to come out if you were being murdered? Mortals puzzle me, though the only thing that I think they are is appetizing." It threw that last comment out there as if it were completely normal and no big deal, but in reality it was the complete opposite, causing chills to race up and down Artemis' spine.

"What do you beasts want? Why are you killing all these innocent mortals?" she spat angrily, and had any mortal been in the immediate vicinity, they would've downright exploded as anger pulsed off of the moon goddess in waves of unmanageable fury. It smirked, pleased at her irritation, which was all the more fuel to the fire.

"See, the thing is, I don't kill for revenge, nor do I kill out of hatred for the gods." It strode over to her, and she felt that if she backed away it would make her seem weak, so she stood planted into the ground, glaring as it approached. If anything went awry she could always turn it into a mole rat, though she felt quite uncomfortable letting her prey come this close. It leaned in a whispered in her ear, "I do it because it's fun." This sent a shiver down her spine and she shoved it away with more strength than any normal thirteen-year-old would possess. It did not stumble, nor did it seem offended. On the contrary, it seemed quite amused at her rebelliousness.

"You're a psychopath." Artemis growled, now hostile. Her bow was now drawn and an arrow whose head was made of Celestial Bronze was aimed right at its chest.

"I prefer the term 'gruesome and creative artist.'" Its voice was frustratingly smooth and unwavering. The monster was not afraid, simple as that. "But I do, indeed, have a name, and I like when it's uttered aloud. Especially in a fearful voice; the last words spoken by my victims before I plunge my fangs into their throats. Honestly, have you ever experienced the thrill?" Its eyes now held a crazed light within them, the kind of light that a rabid animal infected with rabies would possess. He spun in a circle, his arms held out wide.

"Have you ever experienced when you see the hope in their eyes flicker out like a candle along with that little light of life? When your teeth sink into soft flesh and blood explodes in your mouth and drips down your chin? That burst of flavor, the exhilarating adrenaline when one of them puts up a fight? Mortals are useless, Artemis, like rats. Now that they have advanced and multiplied; all because your hunters have killed off most of my kind, they are simply too many, and now they have no cats to hunt them. They've infested this earth and tainted it with their machinery. I am the last cat, the last natural enemy of the human race, the only being that's higher up on the food chain. Do you wish to carry out this genocide?"

"I know what you are." Artemis' voice was now uncertain, and she knew that it had noticed. "And I know your name."

"Well then, let's see if the rumors you've heard are true." It smiled menacingly, and it wasn't hard to picture blood coating its lips and teeth, dripping down its chin and onto the mangled body of a victim at its feet. She shook her head clear of the image and her hands trembled, causing her bow and arrow to quiver slightly. "The darkness is singing, Artemis. Can't you or any of the other gods hear it? It's singing to me; calling to me like a siren's song, yet just as sweet and promising. The darkness is singing about a better future, a better world where the human race isn't an issue. It's singing about a place where things are not only chaotic, but better. Newer. My kind can be released from the depths, yet not of Tartarus, from the depths of _Hell_ , Artemis! We can flourish once more, and certainly be subservient to the gods, and all you need to do is lower your bow."

She did not believe a word it was saying. Its kind lied through their teeth, lied right to the faces of those confronting it, and yet somehow those people somehow believed it. They believed every word, and yet how could they? The huntress gulped and then whispered its name under her breath, knowing that names possessed power like no other. It cupped its hands against its ear mockingly and leaned in.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't hear you." it taunted. She was well aware of the fact that it had undoubtedly heard what she'd said, but was making her say it aloud for the average mortal to hear. It was as if saying its name would only confirm the fact that it exists, and that was something that Artemis did not desire to do. She said it a little louder, but it was still very, very soft.

"Again, dear, I'm afraid I'm very old and my hearing isn't as good as it used to be." Its words were worse than blows, and it was very keen of that fact. Artemis squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up, preparing for the undeniable truth.

"You are Perseus, the last demon to walk this earth."


	2. Omnis

**(A/N) I'm glad you all like it! Sorry I haven't been updating; I'm working on a few novels that need tending to. I hope this chapter satisfies you!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO and there will be a lot of OOC when it comes to Percy since, you know, he's a** ** _demon._**

-Ω-

 ** _NOTE:_** _Due to the fact that Percy is a demon and not his usual demigod self, I had to_ _ **MODIFY BACKSTORIES**_ _in order to solve the plot holes that would have risen had they stayed the same. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience._

 ** _CHANGES INCLUDE:_**

 _ **Nico not being from the past, his mother killed in a hellhound attack and his sister still having joined the hunters and suffering the same fate she did in the books.**_

 _Nico in the place of Percy during all his adventures (Being accused of being the lightning thief, going through the sea of monsters, defeating Kronos and Gaea, being swapped with Jason, etc.)_

 _ **Nico never went through Tartarus except in Percy's place with Will at his side**_

 _Hazel, in the place of Nico, had been flat-out captured (no Tartarus or anything) and put in a bronze jar so they had to go to the rescue._

 ** _Annabeth had been the ambassador and had not told Nico about his true belonging at the Greek camp._**

 _Blackjack is Nico's, however Mrs. O'Leary is still Percy's *dark side shimmy*_

 ** _Will Solace replacing Annabeth as the companion **Solangelo Included**_**

 _Annabeth still keeps her achievements despite her obvious downgrade in importance (defeating Arachne in Mark of Athena, etc.), however it is Will and Nico that go through Tartarus instead._

 **All other backstories will remain the same.**

-Ω-

Nico di Angelo was somewhat of a legend. He was the savior of Olympus twice over; one time when he battled Kronos and the titans and another time when he defeated Gaea and her army of giants. He had accumulated quite a reputation, and had even turned down immortality a few times, which normal teenage boys at his age couldn't really put on their résumés. However Nico di Angelo was not normal. No, he was far from normalcy, partially due to the fact that his father, Hades, was the god of the undead, as well as the underworld. Driven by his determination to make his deceased mother and sister proud, Nico strove to make sure that everyone in both camps was treated equally, since he was so used to being discriminated due to his bloodline. So far he had been succeeding considerably. However there was one thing that Nico could simply not manage to achieve, and that was the tracking and slaughtering of Perseus. Older than time itself, the demon had evaded capture for millennia, and now Artemis had disappeared once more.

Nico recalled how he, Will, Grover, and Thalia had rescued her from Atlas; how he had held up the sky, like being crushed by the weight of a thousand trucks, though the grey streak in his hair that he had earned from it had long since faded. It seemed like such a long time ago that the Titan War had been an issue. Heck, it seemed like such a long time since the _Giant_ War had been an issue. Everything was peaceful at the moment, and that was how Nico liked it, unless you counted the fact that one minute Artemis was on Perseus' trail and the next she seemed to have disappeared off the face of the Earth.

It was late. Very late. Nico was pouring over piles upon piles of books, textbooks, almanacs, scrolls, and ancient Greek and Roman writings, but sadly mortal books weren't necessarily reliable, and the Greeks and Romans weren't even remotely acquainted with demons. He couldn't use the Internet, since it was basically sending up a firework that spelled out 'COME AND EAT ME, MONSTERS' when it exploded, and apparently hitting the books wasn't really working well for him. He had even tried consulting _The Supernatural Ultimate Guide_ , which he had borrowed from his totally obsessed sister, Hazel, when she had visited him last week from her station at Camp Jupiter. But even then he wasn't sure whether all the stuff about salt and exorcisms was true, for he didn't want to throw salt at Perseus when the monster was attacking him, only for it to simply irritate the beast and not repel it. It was very difficult scrounging hard evidence from a sea of faux facts and false spells, like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The dim candle cast dancing shadows upon the printed words, but with Nico's tired state they seemed to blur together. "Ugh…" the son of Hades moaned, rubbing his drooping eyelids. "'In Revelation, Abaddon is the king of the abyss who commands an army of locusts'…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…'The name Abaddon is derived from its Hebrew root, meaning 'to destroy.' It is used six times throughout the Wisdom literature in the Old Testament'…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…nothing on how this Abaddon guy was killed, of course." The son of Hades tossed the book aside, where it joined a number of other books that he had proven useless.

"Why are you up this late?" a voice hissed and Nico clumsily scrambled to his feet, stumbling for a few steps only to be caught by waiting arms. Nico breathed in his boyfriend's scent, relaxing into his chest. "Lights-out was five hours ago. I wake up to get a drink and I see a light on in your cabin. You're lucky I didn't get eaten by the cleaning harpies. I hope I came all the way here for a good reason."

"Research." Nico replied groggily and went boneless, causing Will to have to support all of his weight, though the son of Apollo didn't seem to mind very much. His blue eyes sparkled in the flickering light of the single candle.

"You find anything?" Will asked, and the son of Hades could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Well Sam, Cas, and Dean can't really help me since they don't effing exist." Nico sighed in reply. "How are condiments supposed to repel demons? Really now, _salt_? It, meaning Perseus, is going to shred my throat before I can throw salt in its general direction."

"Better not tell your sister that or she'll flip a wig." Will chuckled in reply, hoisting the shorter boy up so that he was basically carrying him.

"Whatever. Pretty soon you're going to tell me to text Sherlock and that the Doctor will fly down in his TARDIS and take me on an adventure."

"Now you're just trying to anger all of the SuperWhoLock fandom. And you're not going on an adventure with the Doctor without me." But Nico was already fast asleep, snoring soundly with his head cradled in the crook of Will's neck. The son of Apollo's grin widened and he sighed, stepping around the small shrine of bones and jewels and placing Nico onto the coffin-shaped bed he had claimed, tucking the boy into the blood-red sheets. Will considered staying, but he knew that his absence would be noted, and one of his half-siblings would no doubt rat on him. He gave Nico a small kiss on the cheek and slipped out of the cabin like a shadow, leaving the candle to flicker and sputter out.

-Ω-

Perseus liked to refer to himself as a 'he' and not an 'it.' It was very offensive in his opinion, and, had he been capable of feelings, they would have been quite hurt. However he was not, indeed, capable of having feelings aside from hunger, rage, anger, spite, irritation, and wrath. Perseus stalked through the underbrush like a panther, his eyes searching the ground for any signs of life. There was a footprint here, a disturbed patch of dry leaves there, and even a pile of deer excrement every so often, but aside from that the animals that had left the marks were nowhere to be seen. It was exceedingly hard to hunt animals due to the fact that every one of them within a one mile radius seemed to sense him before he actually arrived. This was the reason, aside from the fact that their blood and flesh tasted the finest, why Perseus preferred to hunt humans.

However Artemis was a picky eater and decided that throwing up all over him was better than politely declining his offer to share his previous kill, which had been a young boy at the age of seven. Young blood was always the best, yet despite this the moon goddess seemed to think of it as horrifying and savage. Perseus had been quite taken aback; he'd even been gentleman enough offer to share the liver, which was by far his favorite part. Artemis had not been very impressed. What did it take to woo goddesses these days? Sure, any female teenage human let him inside without hesitation when he flashed his pearly whites (his fangs safely concealed by the Mist) and exchanged a few smooth words, but he liked to go for the big game, since mortals were so easily fooled.

Back in his prime, when Christians were still being persecuted, all he had to do was offer shelter and humans, both male and female, fell right into his awaiting arms like damsels in distress. However he even picked up a Roman goddess or two with his charm, since back then they had no idea that demons even existed; they supposed Christian tale was just a myth, which was very amusing due to the fact that now almost 2,100,000,000 people take part in Christianity and another 14,500,000 take part in Judaism. So therefore, approximately 2,114,500,000 people believe in demons. And about, and this is just as guesstimate on Perseus' part, _zero percent_ of mortals actually worship the gods anymore, though this isn't including demigods. The practice has simply bitten the bullet.

It had proven quite difficult to try and get Artemis on his side, so Perseus had simply given up and was now nursing a very, very ugly grudge. It didn't help that Artemis was a maiden goddess. He would've torn her to shreds right when he confronted her, but the demon needed her as blackmail for a ransom that would leave the gods undisturbed, and possibly save the entirety of the world from human filth. He recalled revealing his plan to Artemis, since it was by far villain obligation to make known their master plans to their hostages, however this time the hostage wasn't going to be able to tell the tale in time, nor would they be saved by a hero in shining armor.

 _"_ _Get me out!" Artemis bellowed. "When my hunter's get here they'll-"_

 _"_ _The image is in mind already. Now shut up and let me speak." Perseus snarled, his fangs flashing in the dim light of the setting sun. Artemis fell silent. The moon goddess was standing in the center of a pentagram drawn with her own blood as well as Perseus'. It was a ward of protection; nothing could come in or even smudge the lines to allow escape, however nothing could come out, either. The demon was holding above her head the threat that if she was not behaved, then he'd banish her to Hell with a flick of his wrist. Artemis, knowing nothing of demon lore, was terrified that Perseus would level that punishment upon her head. The demon, however, was bluffing. Majorly. Had he had a book filled with correct spells and incantations, then maybe it would have been possible, but all those books were in museums scattered across the globe, so guarded that even_ he _would have his neck on the line if he tried to steal one of them._

 _"_ _I don't want money." He spat out the word as if it were poison, circling around the edge of the pentagram. Artemis' cold silver eyes followed him indifferently and she had to turn a little to keep him in sight. "Nor do I want fame or followers…"_

 _"_ _Then what do you want?" she hissed, her words as potent as a snake's venom._

 _"_ _To be feared. I want mortals and demigods to cower in my presence and not go about as if I were one of them. I want them to fear me even though they don't know the reason. Do you know what it's like to be the last of your kind?" Perseus growled, a low, guttural sound that sent a chill straight into the moon goddess' heart. Despite this, she attempted to remain apathetic._

 _"_ _I'm not acquainted with it. Then again, the gods will always be around. Your fate however, is already decided." Perseus cackled at this empty threat, which caused Artemis' poker face to waver ever so slightly._

 _"_ _Did you consult your little oracle? Oh, what about your brother, Apollo? What did he say? I'm_ dying _to know." The demon feigned fear, his voice a mocking impression of a teenage human girl. "Oh, I'm scared now! Zeus is going to come after me with his little lightning toys and zap me to ashes."_

 _"_ _Not before I'm done with you." Artemis replied scathingly, her aura gradually beginning to grow ever so brighter. "I'll make your teeth into a necklace, throw your flesh and bones to my wolves, use your skin as a cloak, use your hair to make my bowstrings, and keep your eyes as trophies."_

 _"_ _What about my package?" He pointed to his crotch area, his eyes glinting with a sick sort of humor. "Hope you're going to keep that, too. It can be your special little award."_

 _"_ _Enough!" Artemis bellowed and shot to her feet. "Fear cannot be imposed in such a way. You shall never be able to get the things you desire!"_

 _"_ _But, it is not about what I_ want. _It's about what the world_ needs _." Perseus replied, his twisted smile never leaving his face._

 _"_ _And what does the world need?" Artemis inquired, scowling, though on the inside she truly had no intention of figuring out what the demon was referring to._

 _"_ _I was hoping you'd ask that." His grin only widened, and Artemis could imagine his fangs grinding bone and flesh into dust. "You see, Artemis, being the last of your kind is quite lonely…" The moon goddess abruptly cut him off._

 _"_ _Are you implying that I marry you? Certainly not, you wretched beast! I am an eternal maiden, and even if I was to marry I would never exchange vows with the likes of you!" she shrilled. She ran towards him like a bear charging towards its next meal, but only crashed into an invisible force that marked the edge of the pentagram. She slammed her fist against the barrier, a blow that could shatter a cement block into a million pieces, but it stayed intact. "You contemptible-"_

 _"_ _Beast? Monster? Demon? Savage? Lady, I've heard them all." This only made Artemis' anger spike. "However, much to your disappointment, I do not plan on marrying you. I'm lonely as in I am not surrounded by others of my kind." Artemis' stomach dropped down like a leaden ball, as if she had just went over a huge drop in a roller coaster. She knew exactly where this was going, though she feared that saying it aloud would only confirm that it was truly happening. "In exchange for you." Perseus' green eyes slit like a viper's. "I want the key to Hell. My brethren shall return once more in their full glory, and anyone or anything that stands in my way can go join Lucifer in the fiery pits for all I care."_


	3. Immundus

**(A/N) Hullo. Sorry for not updating. I am a terrible person. Review now please so I know you're there.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING but the plot.**

Nico had absolutely no idea what to do. _No idea_ whatsoever. He had tried everything, from nonfiction to fiction to lore to even the good old Bible, but there was no absolute way to kill a demon and make them stay dead. There were ways to repel them including holy water, crucifixes, Stars of David, and even salt, and there were also ways to send them back to Hell for a long time, but that meant that in a few centuries Perseus would come clawing its way out of the pit just as bloodthirsty as before. Just like monsters, demons were like cockroaches. They never seemed to die, no matter how many damn times you smashed the frickin thing with your shoe.

"You look like crap." said Jason as he sat down next to Nico at the Hades table. He had no idea why the blond was daring sit with him as the watchful eyes of Mr. D and Chiron scanned the mass of campers, but the son of Jupiter didn't seem to be capable of caring any less.

"Thanks for being a loving friend." Nico replied in a rather monotone voice. "I feel very motivated." Jason shrugged.

"It's true. You look utterly crap-tastic. Still hung up on that Percy thing?"

"What did you say?" Nico's head shot around to look at the son of Jupiter.

"I said you look utterly crap-tastic."

"No, no. _After_ that."

"I asked if you were still hung up on this whole Percy thing." The older boy was utterly confused, and Nico was rather astounded at how oblivious one could be. "I mean, Percy _is_ a son of a bitch, but I don't think you should get this worked up about it-"

"There it is, you said it again!" the son of Hades exclaimed, making wide gestures with his hands.

"Said what? Dude, stop with all the riddles. Spell it out please." Jason replied flatly, bordering on irritation.

"Percy! You sound as if you're best buds with him. He is a freaking _DEMON_ from _HELL_ who we have _NO IDEA_ how to kill." Nico's temper was boiling. Calling Perseus 'Percy' was like calling Saddam Husain 'Saddamy'. Okay, maybe that was exaggerating a lot, but Perseus wasn't just some guy whose name you could throw around. He'd _killed_ people. Even worse, he _ate_ them. That was a whole new level of psycho that Nico did not want to explore.

"Whoa, sorry dude, didn't know it angered you so much." Jason apologized sincerely, shrugging. "Well, I was doing some snooping around for anything…supernatural going on in the area, and look what I found." Nico's excitement began to well up inside of him and peak, anticipation gnawing at his insides like a rabid hamster. "Check it out." Jason pulled a stack of neatly folded newspapers from the seat beside him, which Nico had not noticed that he had brought until now, and moved all of Nico's plates to place it in front of him. The pancakes Nico had been eating were long since forgotten, growing cold as they were left unattended.

The headline stood out like a drop of ink in a bucket of white paint.

 ** _THE NEW YORK TIMES_**

 ** _New York, Saturday, May 9_** ** _th_** ** _, 2015_**

 **THREE FAMILIES MISSING IN THE TRISTATE AREA**

 _By John Smith_

Nico couldn't contain his utter delight. Well, not because the families went missing, which was very tragic, but because of the fact that this could possibly be a sign of the beast showing its face, and locally, too. He was almost _glad_ that the families went missing, though it was still very depressing. But hey, Nico used to be an emo kid whose only company was ghosts. He didn't find anything surprising anymore, so he continued to read, wondering what mortals were blaming on the freak disappearances.

 _Three families; the Brown family, the Kennedy family, and the Davis family have been reported missing, their vanishings reported exactly three days apart from one another. The three families had no connection whatsoever but their towns remain close to one another, though they were in two different states. As far as the authorities know, they had no known enemies, and there is no evidence of an attack. It was as if they simply disappeared into thin air._

 _The Brown family, from Westchester County, New York, consisted of Margaret Elizabeth Brown, aged thirty-nine; Zachary Ryan Brown, aged forty; Leonard Seymour Brown, aged six; Julia Helen Brown, aged twelve; and Lawrence Harley Brown, aged five months. All of whom simply disappeared from their little house in Claryville, however they could have been gone for much longer, due to the fact that there had been no commotion and their lights were still on. Had concerned family and friends, whom had constantly been calling, turned up, they found the house empty, with no evidence of where the Browns may have gone. Says their family friend Becca Thomson, "They didn't have any grudges or fights or anything. They were the nicest and most normal people in the world." Police are still investigating._

 _Three days later, the Kennedy family disappeared from Rye Brook, which is a few towns over from Claryville. The family included Yvonne Kennedy, aged thirty; Jacob Kennedy, aged thirty; and Cara Kennedy and her twin sister, Lily, aged seven. "Yvonne was by far the sweetest woman you could ever meet; she got it from our mom. I, however, inherited my dad's stubbornness, but Yvonne wasn't sweet enough to let people take advantage of her; she could put up a fight if she wanted to." says Yvonne's sister, Hailey Grossman. "She also had a good man like Jacob to protect her and the girls. Very strong. I don't know what to think; how could they possibly just disappear?" The police's search ceases to conclude._

 _Yet another three days later the Davis family was reported missing, not a sign of them anywhere in the town of Greenwhich, Connecticut, located in Fairfield County. The family included Molly Patricia Davis, aged eighty-three, and her husband of fifty years Kyle Arnold Davis, aged eighty-five. "The old couple down the street? They don't participate much in town activities, since they're too frail to walk back and forth from place to place. I went shopping for the old woman once, a particularly normal list if you ask me. No one really knows them, but they give good candy on Halloween and I see them at church every Sunday." says fourteen-year-old Tyler Jacobsen, a former neighbor of the Davis family. It was discovered they were missing when their grandchildren came to visit and found them gone. The authorities' pursuit continues._

 _Had they taken off on a surprise trip? And if so then why not answer the desperate calls of their family and friends? Was it an abduction? Then again, why? No captor has yet to step out and offer a ransom for the return of the families. Could they possibly be hurt, or worse? May it all be the same criminal? The towns are very close, but who could evade capture so easily? Local police and the FBI are baffled. More news has yet to come._

"You think it's hungry? Going on a killing spree?" Nico asked. "And the dates do add up; roughly three days is about the time it takes for a demon to get ravenously starving." Jason nodded.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." he replied, his brows furrowed. The scar on his lip quivered a little in his concentration, and his blue eyes shimmered in the light of the early morning sun. Campers were beginning to clear out of the mess hall and head to their morning activities, and the two demigods decided that it would be best if they did the same. Nico had to inform Will and the rest of the seven about this, even Annabeth deserved to know, though Nico was not very acquainted with her.

"I say we go to Chiron and tell him to issue a quest, and maybe Rachel has a prophecy or something she can give to us." the son of Hades told Jason as he sacrificed all of his cold pancakes to no god in particular, assuming Jason had already done the same.

"That sounds like a great idea to me. But we have to do it later. Archery starts in a few minutes and Solace will kill me if I'm late." Nico chuckled at this, knowing for a fact that, despite the fact that Jason was a close friend, Will would never let him live down a tardy lesson, and even would force him to make up all the time he missed. Nico was glad that he was an exception, since he could make it up in kisses rather than actual time. With the thought of Will as well as the disappearances still fresh in his mind, he went off to arts & crafts to make by far the best sculpture of Pegasus out of the entire group.

-Ω-

"So…how've you been?" Perseus asked, rubbing his cheek and leaving a smear of blood behind.

"Besides me being trapped within a pentagram and forced to eat the measly morsels you manage to claw in, not to mention the fact that you're a goddamn psychopath, I am fairly okay." Artemis replied scathingly, turning away huffily. The demon rolled his green eyes, whose pupils slit like a snake's and then returned to their normal shape.

"Okay, then. Just to make sure we're on the same page…"

"The same page? We're not even in the same library!" Artemis snapped.

"How rude. No need to get all clammy, Miss I'm-a-goddess-so-I'm-better-than-everyone."

"At least my library isn't in Hell."

Perseus was angered by this, his lips curling to reveal his wicked fangs.

"I have fed you." he growled, no longer sounding human, which he wasn't. "I have met all your terms with stride; no human meat, no meat from an animal that had belonged to a mortal, no mortal garbage, no mortal food. I have brought you wild mice and rabbits and birds and, on good days, deer. I have slid materials and blankets over the line of the pentagram so you can build a shelter and not become cold. I am being generous, and my patience is wearing thin." Artemis seemed to pale slightly as the demon spit the words out like poison, his tone so scornful she had flinched several times as he had been talking.

"I must, indeed, give you credit for that." Artemis admitted, picking at the blankets that had long since been soiled by dirt. However it did not matter whether they were dirty or clean; she was a huntress, and as long as it worked she did not complain about it. She wondered what her Hunters were doing, no doubt trying to track Perseus down and serve his head on a platter, however Perseus was untraceable. He covered his tracks incredibly well; he didn't leave behind neither carnage, nor fingerprints as he dragged whole families to their demise. He was active only at night and was such a light sleeper that the slightest rustling of a mouse within a one-mile radius startled him into an acute awareness. He walked so lightly that he didn't leave prints or even crush blades of grass underfoot, as if he were a ghost floating over the ground. He bathed in the nearby river to wash his scent away and did his business within the river as well, so all of his waste was washed downstream so roughly that it disintegrated before it could be analyzed.

"Thank you."

"But that doesn't minimize the fact that you are a cold-blooded killer."

Now the goddess was making the demon very angry. He could not stand her company, however if he wanted his ransom he'd have to cope.

"I kill to survive, since I cannot digest anything but mortal flesh and blood. Do you know how many years, in order to lie low while my kind was being slain like deer during hunting season, I had to kill cows and eat _them_? The blood, out of all livestock, tastes the best, but it is the greater of several evils. The blood is too bland and sluggish, the hide too thick, the bones too hard to snap in half with my teeth. And the worst part was that they didn't even put up a fight. They just allowed me to walk over and snap their necks, dying without even a single plaintive cry. When the titans, thank the gods, rose up and became the bigger problem, I no longer had to kill cattle so that they could suppose I was a coyote. I could just kill and kill and kill. The monsters were the ones held responsible, however they didn't harm _nearly_ as many mortals as me. I was responsible for three-quarters of the mortal deaths you gods thought monsters were to blame for. So, with that said, I think you should really change your attitude towards me." Perseus relished in the moment and grinned as he saw Artemis' badly concealed expression of horror.

He continued, "If you don't change your attitude, I can send you to Hell." Bluff. Of course. However his voice didn't make it sound like he was bluffing, and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"And what's Hell like?" Artemis managed, trying to sound righteous but ending up sounding rather afraid.

"You can tell me when you're burning alongside my brothers and sisters."

 _Note: I'm going to start doing this thing where there's random funny stuff at the end of every chapter, from quotes to fandom-associated stuff from tumblr._

 ** _Today:_**

 **Quotes that fit a little too well together:**

 **The Doctor:** What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?

 **Dean:** I don't know, maybe pick up the phone and tell us that a raging psychopath was dropping by!

 **Sherlock:** I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.

 **Castiel:** Then again 94% of all psychopaths think they're sane.


	4. Spiritus

**(A/N) Sorry guys for not updating in a while; my brother has a severe case of Lyme disease and everything has been thrown into chaos.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO**

"We've been driving for _hours._ " Will complained.

"Shut up I'm trying to concentrate on the road." Jason snapped in reply. Nico was tired of driving with them, but who knew that getting to Claryville could be so physically and psychologically exhausting? Three hours and forty-two minutes ago, Chiron had issued the quest to hunt down and kill Perseus. Nico and Jason had automatically volunteered since, aside from Thalia and Hazel, who was too busy working at Camp Jupiter with Frank to be called into action, they were the only children of the Big Three gods at the ready. Therefore, they had a better chance of slaying the demon, but all Nico really wanted to do was survive the encounter. Will had simply volunteered because Nico had done so, no matter how much his boyfriend objected; though Will was incredibly skilled and powerful, Nico didn't want to put him in danger. Call it a safety precaution, but no matter what the son of Hades said or did, Will refused to back down.

Nico had still been rendered unable to figure out a way to actually kill the demon and make it stay dead; all of the methods he had currently stashed in his mind allowed opening for Perseus to claw his way back out of Hell, and that would simply make him angrier than before. The only person that was known to be able to completely and utterly destroy demons was Artemis, and guess where she was? Imprisoned by the only demon she hadn't managed to kill. So basically the only person who knew how to kill demons was in the grasp of a demon. Just peachy.

It didn't help that the three boys were constantly at each other's throats, or that Camp Half-Blood's strawberry van thing seemed to run out of gas every five minutes; it was costing them a fortune. Nico had suggested shadow travel, but Will had downright refused due to what had happened during the Giant War, even though that was well into the past. Nico thought of just doing it anyway, but that would make his boyfriend incredibly upset, and an incredibly upset boyfriend meant no kisses, and no kisses meant an incredibly upset Nico. Perseus had better be in the area, or the son of Hades would slit his own throat with his Stygian iron sword.

"I have to pee." Will cried, something he had been complaining about for the past twenty minutes.

"I am _not_ pulling over!" Jason hissed, flooring the gas in his aggravation. May the gods forbid they zoomed by a radar trap, or they would surely be ticketed, and their mortal money was already running thin.

"But my bladder is about to explode!" the son of Apollo wailed, crossing his legs and grabbing his crotch area as if it could stop nature's calling.

"Pee in your water bottle!" Jason snapped, sparks crackling on his fingertips. He sure was aggravated, though Will didn't seem to be getting the message, probably because he was in the back seat and Nico had called shotgun.

"It's already full!"

"Slow down, Jase! I want to get there, but I want to get there alive!" Nico shouted. Arguments broke out and insults soared through the air, and Nico was pretty sure that this was by far _the worst_ car ride he had ever experienced in his entire life. It didn't help that Jason had by far the nastiest road rage Nico had ever seen. When they finally rolled into Claryville, all three demigods were completely and utterly drained, and all they got out of their struggles was a cheap, run-down motel called the Emerald Ribbon Inn. The lady at the counter, who had about five teeth at most, had given them an odd look when they only asked for two queen beds and no futon, since Nico planned to sleep in Will's bed, though on one condition:

"No sex. I don't want to be hearing happy noises while I sleep." Jason said as he unlocked the door to their room. It was better than Nico had thought it would be, however it smelled of feet and the floor was very, very dirty. The wallpaper, which was supposed to be "emerald green", was actually a very disgusting puke color. On top of that, it was cracked and peeling, and the moth-bitten comforters on the beds didn't _look_ very comfy. Nico didn't dare check what the bathroom looked like, and was beginning to regret his decision to stay here.

"I think I puked a little in my mouth." Will gagged. "And I fear that if my buttocks dare touch that toilet seat I will contract at least six different STDs."

"This better be worth the trouble, Nico." Jason snorted and tossed his backpack onto one of the beds, claiming it as his own.

"We won't be staying in here for a long time; it's not like we'll be hanging out or anything. We need to get straight to work." Nico replied earnestly. "Pee now, because there'll be no pit stops on this quest." Jason unsheathed his Imperial gold sword and examined it, making sure the blade wasn't dull, and Will tested his bowstring and sharpened the arrowheads, as well as double-checked that he had his backup Celestial bronze knife for close-rage fighting. Nico, of course, had done this all beforehand and was becoming quite annoyed that they weren't prepared. Then again, Jason and Will were more laissez-faire than Nico, who most of the time was very strict about his tactics.

"All right, ladies, let's go hunt us some demons."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are we going to start?" Will asked incredulously. Nico took three business cards from the stash on the end table and snapped his fingers. They automatically morphed into FBI badges, and the three demigods' worn down shirts, jeans, and sneakers became tuxedos and formal boots. Will's bow and quiver became a briefcase and his backup knife turned into a gun and holster, as did Nico and Jason's swords. Nico tossed them the "badges" and grinned.

"Learned how to manipulate the Mist from Hazel. I can't do the big stuff, but this was easy." Nico explained to the shell-shocked demigods that were gaping at him. Nico tossed a badge to Will.

"Agent Brendon Lawrence?" the son of Apollo asked incredulously. Nico shrugged.

"The Mist made the names, but at least there's a picture of you. Of course, you never took the picture, since you aren't a real FBI agent." he replied. He turned to Jason, tossing the son of Zeus his badge. "And you're Agent John Green."

"Isn't he an author?"

"There are a lot of people named John Green. It's the most generic name I've ever heard, and I hear that Bacchus likes to call you that." Jason rolled his eyes at this.

"Whatever. Who are you?"

"I'm Agent Russel Martin." Nico told him as he picked up another business card. With a snap of his fingers it turned into an FBI business card, but the number actually was the one to the phone in Chiron's office. If any mortals became suspicious and decided they needed proof of Will, Nico, and Jason's authority, Chiron would most surely back them up. It was no doubt illegal, but then again they couldn't really be caught due to their godly powers.

"You still didn't answer my question." Will said, adjusting his fake tie. "Where are we going?"

"To interview the first person we drive by and pray that they knew the Browns."

"Won't it be an invasion of personal information?"

"We're FBI, remember?"

-Ω-

"And you're FBI agents?" Perseus asked, giving the three young men the baby seal eyes he had perfected over the years of his eternal life. "They were my neighbors and I really hope that someone can find them." Perseus was sitting across from three young men, two blond, one black-haired, and he was pretty sure that the black-haired one and the slightly blonder out of the two blonds were gay, judging from the hormone levels that he sensed. They looked intimidating, but also a bit young to be Feds. The interview room at the local police station was plain and simple, though not completely so, however it made the agents the only interesting things in the room, which Perseus supposed was the entire point.

He had been walking down the street, checking which houses had security or alarms, when the three Feds had driven up in a sleek black cruiser, asking for his part of the story in the Browns' disappearance. They claimed they were investigating the case, and Perseus relished in messing with mortal authorities, so he had agreed to an interview with them. However Perseus had thought that Feds only worked in pairs, and wondered why this was a trio, however mortals were endlessly confusing, so he had decided to drop the case.

"Agent Russel Martin, Agent Brendon Lawrence, and Agent John Green at your service" said the black-haired Fed, whom had pointed to himself when he had said "Agent Russel Martin." The most likely gay blonder blond was Agent Lawrence, and the heterosexual blond-but-not-as-blond-as-the-blonder-blond was Agent Green.

"Peter Johnson." Perseus replied. "You look a little young to be FBI agents." At this, they chuckled.

"All in the genes, kid. So we'd like to ask you a few questions, and we need you to tell us the whole story, even if it seems a bit odd." Agent Martin told him. At this, alarms began to go off in Perseus' head. Why would FBI be looking for something odd? Didn't they handle mortal problems? Unless….

Perseus squinted and concentrated for a long moment, and slowly he began to peel away the layers of the Mist. Agents Martin, Green, and Lawrence certainly weren't FBI agents, for FBI agents did not wear blaring orange shirts and tattered jeans, nor did they carry around swords and bows instead of guns. Emblazoned on their T-shirts were the words _Camp Half-Blood._ Half-bloods. They had come for him; he had thought he had planned his attacks far enough away so that demigods could not become suspicious, but apparently these were the experts. Perseus thought of just taking off, but that would only confirm his identity, and they would scan every face or even tear apart the world brick by brick just to find him. Instead, he kept his cool and smiled, but he did not show teeth due to the fact that demigods could see through the Mist, and therefore his fangs would stand out like blaring sirens.

"Well it started when Houston Brown began acting a bit strange." Cue increased heart rate from the agents. Little did the "agents" know that it was simply a name Perseus had pulled from the top of his head; a name that the demon had seen listed in the newspaper's obituary. Perseus resisted the urge to lick his lips, for he had never tasted demigod blood before. Whispers said that, though they were much more difficult to catch and slaughter due to their godly heritage, their flesh was tastier than that of a mortal's and their blood exploded in your mouth and tasted better than mortal blood by tenfold. He could hear the blood coursing through the agents' veins, and could see the anticipation in their eyes.

"Please continue." "Agent" Lawrence told him, pulling out a small notepad. The demigods had really studied up; to any mortal or monster, since most were rather foolish, they would've seemed to blend in with all the other Feds. Perseus chuckled internally; he was going to have so much fun with this, though the demigods' arrival meant that he had to emigrate with Artemis, though that was a whole other problem that needed to be solved.

"Houston arrived in town about a week before the Browns disappeared, and people claim that he arrived with a young girl, about twelve or thirteen, but nobody ever saw her so she must've just been visiting. Anyway he never really went out much. He simply was _there._ Nobody even knew where he lived, much less how he acted or what he did for a living. He wasn't registered for any jobs in the area, nor did he ever visit the local shops or restaurants. I only saw the guy once, but he was creepy." Perseus laced faux anxiety through his words, putting on a show because the demigods were so utterly oblivious to his true identity. "He was in his mid-forties or something, and he was very calculating. I saw him on the sidewalk and then turned to see where he was coming from or going to, but when I looked up he was gone. He must've turned the corner or something, but when I checked he wasn't there. Very strange man, and if you ask me I think he kidnapped the Brown family, or worse, _ate them._ Like in those horror movies, you know?"

"Thank you, Peter. That will be all." "Agent" Green told him and the three faux Feds rose to their feet and left with their swords and bows and knives, leaving Perseus sitting with his fingers laced together, smiling to himself as his eyes turned into that of a snake's rather than a human's.

"No, thank you." he snickered softly. "Thank you for thanking me for sending you on a wild goose chase."

 **Quote of the day:**

 **Me:** *cries because I have to wait for a book*

 **Me:** *cries because I got the book*

 **Me:** *cries because the book looks beautiful*

 **Me:** *cries because I love the characters so much*

 **Me:** *cries when reading the book*

 **Me:** *cries because my otp is so cute*

 **Me:** *cries because my favorite character dies*

 **Me:** *cries because I finished the book*

 **Me:** *cries because of the ending*

 **Me:** *cries*


	5. Satanica

**(A/N) You have to admit, I'm getting better with this whole updating thing. Only six days after the last update! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO, nor do I own the world that they live in. I do, however, own the alternate universe that differs from the original, and I hope that others respect that fact.**

The throne room was not calm, despite its outside appearance. Tension seemed to split the air around the Olympians like arcs of sizzling lightning, but that was most likely just Zeus and his nervousness. Apollo was so jittery that he was unable to sit still; he was either tapping his foot or drumming his fingers on the arm of his throne, and whatever his movements may be it was obvious that his anxiety level was way above normal. Artemis' level head was basically the only thing that had kept the throne room together, and even Hestia's comforting words and aura could not pacify the gods' seething nerves.

It did not help that all thirteen of them were quite certain that Artemis was in the hands of the demon Perseus, due to the point that despite the fact they were the Olympian gods, they were powerless to track and kill the beast. Artemis had been the only goddess who had known the secret, and now she had been captured. It was basically Atlas all over again, except there wasn't a huge sky that they could make Perseus hold up, nor was there any way to _trick_ the demon into holding up that huge sky, had it even existed.

Zeus was pacing, and the other eleven gods followed him back and forth with their eyes. Hestia had left due to the high strain and burden count, which she could not stand to see thrust upon her brothers and sisters. Even so, she had also given the reason that it simply was not her problem; she wasn't an Olympian goddess, so why should she fret over the problems that were in their hands? However she _still_ fretted over those problems despite the fact that they weren't, indeed, her problems. The Olympians, on the other hand, had to deal with the problems, and they were not having a very pleasant time. They had tried everything, from having the Hunters try to track Artemis to even consulting Hades. The god of the Underworld, however, had no good news nor good information on the matter, which he had just now heard of (They didn't tell him much in the Underworld).

"I was just about to Iris Message you." Hades told his Olympian brethren, lounging back on his throne made of human skeletons. "Tartarus is going berserk. More monsters than usual are clawing their way out, and the souls are seeming restless. Just now Perseus, the hero, not the demon, had just screamed that someone was going around wearing his name and killing people, and that his brothers and sisters were becoming restless. Sometimes souls, even if they're human, can sense things that we gods can't. I've tried to weed things out of my advisors, but for some reason they won't talk. I even tried weeding information out _forcefully_ , yet they still refuse to speak. Either that or someone is keeping them from talking."

"Or _something_ is keeping them from talking." Zeus replied gravely, running a hand through his hair. His frustration caused lightning to crackle all around him, arcing around his body in voltages that would fry a mortal alive.

"It is not within my knowledge. Most suppose that I deal with demons on a regular basis, but those things have been extinct for years; in the depths of Tartarus known as Hell to most mortals." On the message a skeletal guard hurried over and made a serious of clucks and growls that were virtually incomprehensible, but Hades nodded as if it made perfect sense. "Listen, Zeus, I have an Underworld to run and I'd appreciate if you did not bother me with your over-worldly difficulties." And with that, the pale god cut through the message and disconnected, leaving Zeus and the other Olympians in a fit of rage.

'How dare he?" bellowed Ares. "I should go to the Underworld and snap his little skinny neck!"

"No, Ares, we must not dwell on his incompetence and unwillingness to participate in this matter, which may expand to all worlds if not halted at the source; Perseus." The lightning god turned to his fellow Olympians, his cold blue gaze raking over them emotionlessly. "So, what facts do we know about demons? Let's go around the room and see what truths we've managed to dig out of the sea of faux facts and legends. Ladies first."

"Demons have a very low reproduction rate since there is a twenty year gestation period, however they are always born in pairs; every female demon will always give birth to twins, but they are immortal and practically invincible." Hera stated, her voice cool and collected despite the situation. Demeter went next.

"Demons eat only flesh and blood and are physically incapable of digesting foods such as grains; they have to throw it all up again."

"Their minds are so developed that they have room to remember every second of every day in their immortal lives." said Athena, who crossed her legs and continued, "They can tell the exact details of their life from start to finish, and they are very intelligent. They cannot be outwitted very easily." The Olympians' gaze hovered on Artemis' empty throne, hard lines etched into their faces, but they continued, with Aphrodite quickly stating her fact to fill in for the silence that the moon goddess had presented.

"I hear their mating rituals are so _romantic._ They exchange flowers and even go hunting together before getting to the big stuff-"

"Aphrodite." Dionysus piped up. "Is that really necessary? Anyway, since that concludes the ladies I shall contribute my own fact, but only because Zeusy here had said it was _manditory._ " Zeus' stern expression signaled for him to stop, which he most certainly did, though reluctantly. "Demons cannot become intoxicated on anything except human flesh, though they can sometimes get carried away and go on killing sprees, leaving a path of bloody bodies that leads straight to them."

"Demons are excellent swimmers." Poseidon told the other gods and goddesses, twirling his trident in anxiety and irritation. "And they don't need to breathe and consequently can stay underwater for eternity. Therefore, we can't drown the beast, either."

"Their fighting can rival even mine and they are known for slipping through the fingers of even primordial gods such as Tartarus and Gaea!" Ares bellowed, clearly riled up from the rapid-fire facts, though he had obviously needed to find that out himself, since he wasn't smart enough to have that much prior knowledge.

"They're really good at being _sister snatchers._ " Apollo hissed, his grip tightening on the arms of his throne. "Bright light irritates them but does not burn them and therefore they do all of their hunting and are most active at night."

Hephaestus' contribution ensued, "Their skin is like armor and they are immune to all forms of heat and fire, including Greek fire. So we can't burn this thing, either."

"Demons can be one place one moment and another place the next. Their speed matches mine and they can make a quick escape if they are unsure about picking a fight. This makes them excellent thieves." said Hermes. "What's your fact, Zeus? We were all supposed to have them like you said."

The lightning god did not appreciate the god's smart mouth, however he sighed and boomed, "Demons are resistant to lightning, electricity, and electrocution. Trust me, I've tried zapping the beast and it still refuses to just curl up and die. An annoyance, it is." That's when the hearth in the center of the fire pit blazed. The flames leapt high into the air, becoming almost as tall as the gods and goddesses themselves, even though they were in their giant form. The throne room became at least several degrees cooler, and it sure wasn't the gods sapping the heat. Their breathing caused clouds of wispy steam to curl into the air like ribbons and disappear, and they had all drawn their weapons.

Apollo had an arrow trained at the bellowing flames and even Aphrodite had produced a huge Celestial bronze knife from the folds of her satiny dress. Abruptly a voice projected from inside of the flames, smooth, loud, and mocking, "I have come to make a deal with the gods." It should have been impossible to communicate in this way; Hestia was constantly monitoring all of the hearths, and there was the fact that there were more enchantments and spells around Olympus than there was around any other otherworldly place.

"Perseus?" Zeus accused, his voice bellowing like the throaty roar of thunder. "Show your face!" The gods were well aware of the fact that Perseus was being incredibly smart; had it used an Iris message, the rainbow goddess would have been able to trace it back to its exact location, but no, it had to use fire messaging. Even though Hephaestus could, indeed, trace it back to the fire source, fires could be snuffed out and the connection would be cut.

"I'm sorry, Zeus, but I can't do that. Do you really think I am that brainless?" Perseus' voice asked, echoing throughout the giant hall.

"We kinda wish you were that brainless." Dionysus muttered under his breath as he cracked open a can of Coca-Cola.

"Want to be wise, eh Dionysus? Well then how would you like it if I said you gods may never see Artemis again?" The whole throne room inhaled sharply, their fists clenching and their teeth gritting together tightly. The sound of Dionysus' cola can caving in seemed to rip through the air like the blast of an atomic bomb, and the brown soft drink began to drip through the god's fingers. Had Perseus been there in person, this would have been the part where they all had incinerated the beast at the same time, but however much they wished it was here so they could destroy it, that fantasy could not come true.

"What are you playing at here?" Zeus asked, and all of the other Olympians waited silently and allowed the lightning god to do all of the talking.

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to drop by and say hello." Perseus chuckled without any humor, his voice like ice that sent the gods' hairs standing on end. "But I want something from you, and if you want to see your little moon goddess again you will give it to me."

"Where have you taken her?!" Apollo bellowed, and it took all of Ares and Hephaestus' strength to keep him seated, for if they allowed him to stand he would most likely extinguish the roaring flames, and therefore they would have no leads to Artemis' location. "Tell me where she is!"

"Down, boy. You should really keep your gods on a leash, Zeus."

"How dare you!" Zeus roared, frustrated that he was powerless to do anything but listen. "I am the king of the skies and I tell the likes of you what to do, not the other way around, you foolish monster!"

"Oh no, I'm _very_ scared." This, of course, was sarcastic on Perseus' part, and the demon was obviously taking much joy in irritating the Olympians. "So here's the bargain; I set your daughter free, no tricks and no surprises, if you release my brothers and sisters from Hell. I swear it on the River Styx. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the Olympians knew that Zeus wasn't the cause. They realized that this was no joke; Perseus was very bent on getting its kind back, and if it was not given to it then the demon would raise a Hell like no other.

"And why would I say yes to that?" Zeus asked, his expression just as torn as it was exasperated.

"Because you'd like to see your little virgin back? Her throne _is_ empty, is it not?" the demon replied, his voice no longer chilled but rather laced with an unrequited venom and anger.

"It could be the end of the human race!"

"If it was the end of the human race then we'd suffer. It's like a food chain, Zeus. We kill all of our food, we have no more food. Consider it thinning out the human population. You do agree that they are too numerous, do you not?" Perseus asked. Zeus was silent, for he _did_ agree, and if he said otherwise then Perseus, being a walking, talking lie detector, would be able to call out his lie in front of the assembled gods and goddesses.

"Are you positive she shall be home safe?" he questioned finally.

"You can't be thinking of agreeing to this?!" Hera hissed into her husband's ear, her eyes blazing like the fires of Tartarus.

"What's the downside?" Zeus shot back. "The humans are less underfoot, Artemis will be freed, and there are minimal consequences."

"That is not all true." Athena interrupted, rising to her feet. Her cold grey eyes were for once uncertain, however they held a firmness to them that one could only associate with those that are stubborn. "Perseus would have an army of immortal, indestructible monsters at its aide. They could rise up against us, or rise up against our children and wipe them off of the planet."

"Since when do we care for our children?" Zeus growled, his knuckles whitening around the master bolt, which he was griping tightly within his hand.

"Since Nico di Angelo said so. We swore on the River Styx we would pay more attention to them, and I am ninety six point seven percent sure that that includes watching out for their wellbeing. Worst thing is, though, is that they won't go for the full grown demigods, no they're too smart for that; they'll go for the ones that are too young to go to camp, or the vulnerable ones that are being taken to camps by satyrs. Our children, both Greek and Roman, will be in great danger. I could care less, but we swore that we would care."

"Indeed, but maybe the senior demigods and the ones who are not detected by demons will figure out a way to kill them. Wait, they don't need to; we'll have Artemis just wipe them out again."

"I can still hear you, you know." came the voice of Perseus, whom had been silent as it'd listened intently. "And Artemis has already sworn on the Styx not to kill the demons off again if she is freed, and also she cannot share the secret on how to kill us."

"Why would she do that?" Athena hissed, cursing under her breath.

"Nice language." Perseus chuckled. "So do we have a deal or not?" There was silence. Complete and utter silence only accompanied by the roaring of the fire and the shallow breaths of the Olympians surrounding it. "I'm _waiting._ " Yet more quiet ensued, and one could almost sense Perseus' patience wearing thin on the other side of the fire message. "You know what, I didn't want to be the bad guy, but now I'm going to have to be the bad guy. Only bad guys make people rush their decisions, but I'm not getting any younger just standing around here. This offer is going once…"

Aphrodite gasped and tottered a little on her feet, and all of the gods and goddesses began talking at once.

"Take it! It benefits everyone!"

"Don't take it, it's foolish! It's a _demon_ and it'll double-cross us!"

"…going twice…" Perseus said slowly, and you could hear the smile in its voice as the order in the throne room was tossed out of the window.

"Hurry!"

"Oh no what will we do?!"

"We'll never see Artemis again!"

"SILENCE!" Zeus bellowed and all of the gods and goddesses shushed as if a mute button had been pushed. The lightning god stepped over to the blazing fire, where Perseus was waiting patiently. "We will take your offer as long as you swear not to start an uprising against us or our children."

"I swear on the River Styx not to start an uprising against the gods and goddesses or their children, and I swear to allow Artemis to return back to Olympus without any scratches or recaptures as long as the gods free _all_ of the demons from Hell." Perseus replied.

"Then I, Zeus, god of gods, swear on the River Styx to free all of the demons from Hell as long as Artemis is returned and the demons do not cause an uprising."

"Pleasure doing business with you." Perseus chuckled and the fires disappeared into nothing but embers, plunging the whole throne room into darkness. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, however the Olympians stayed silent as they thought of the heavy weight that had just been placed upon their shoulders.

 **Quote of the day:**

arms hurt? saw them off.

How do you saw off the second arm?

Tumblr asks the real questions

Everyone on this website is a phycopath I swear

*psychopath. Do your research.

*Sociopath. Do yours.

Alright Sherlock, don't make me get Mummy.

Are YOU my mummy?

No, your mummy is dead because she burned on the ceiling.


	6. Potestas

**(A/N)** ** _I AM SO SORRY_** **BUT IT IS** ** _NOT MY FAULT THIS TIME_** **; THE** ** _B_** **AND** ** _N_** **KEYS ON MY COMPUTER STOPPED WORKING RANDOMLY AND I HAD TO SEND IT OUT TO GET FIXED. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO**

It looked like a girl, and an identical copy of one at that. A cutesy, short teenaged girl whom most would assume attended book clubs and frequented libraries. Freckles dotted her cheeks and nose, and her hair was a beautiful rust color, complete with dazzling blue eyes full of raw intelligence. However one would not approach such a girl if they saw her emerge from the ground, clawing her way out with talons that could make a grown man weep and teeth that would cause hellhounds to flee for their lives.

"Zombie!" most would cry, due to the fact that its skin was pale to the point of translucency, with spider webs of blue veins weaving their way below the surface. However that theory would soon be averted as a result of its pupils, which slit as thin as a viper's and then returned to normal. Most would begin uttering prayers and the name of God, however, contrary to popular belief, it would not repel it but rather irritate it to quite an extent. And one could never irritate a demon and make it out in one piece, for an irritated demon took no prisoners. Demons in general tended to take no prisoners.

Slathered in mud as thick and dark as pitch, the demon turned its head to the sky and the light hurt its eyes, though thick clouds covered the sun like a blanket. With one last heave it was on the ground, its sides heaving with effort as it adjusted to this thinner, cleaner air, which was not poisonous like the air in Hell was. The exhausting journey had been quite treacherous, but it was quite worth emerging from the boiling and dark depths of Hell. It regarded its surroundings with a burning curiosity, its long claws turning into fingernails and the Mist concealing its wicked fangs under a thin veil.

With a rather childlike interest it played with the stems of grass, using a gentle touch that one would normally not associate with a demon. After several failed attempts, it shakily rose to its feet. Tottering a bit before regaining its balance, it staggered over to the nearest tree and ran its hands over the coarse bark, tracing over the lines and patterns that had been formed. It was enjoying itself already, and muscles in its jaw jumped until its lips finally contorted into a thin smile. It brushed over the leaves of a bush, enjoying the crackling sound that it made, and gazed up at the cloudy, fragmented sky that was mostly hidden behind the trees' rustling foliage.

Then the moment was over, for the demon now realized that it was starving. Starving beyond belief. It clutched its chest as its stomach roiled and contracted, gurgling as it demanded to be fed. It sniffed the air and found that there were many animals around it, however they were all hidden from sight, and their little hearts were pumping in utter panic and terror. But it could not be contented with animal flesh. No, its first meal in the material world would consist of human flesh and blood. It raised its head to the heavens and let out a blood-curdling roar that seemed to split the sky.

-Ω-

Dakota was not having a very exciting day. Put on sentry duty after he accidentally blew up the armory, the day was going so repulsively slow that he thought Saturn himself was making sure that seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours. A probatio, a daughter of Apollo whom had only arrived at Camp Jupiter but a week ago, served as his partner, and Dakota had to admit that the armor on her was comically large. Taking a swig of Kool-Aid from a flask that would normally hold whisky, he looked around at the highways surrounding the Caldecott Tunnel and wondered why the hell he had been assigned to the most boring job at Camp Jupiter.

The probatio, however, had never been on sentry duty before, and she was standing at attention with an enthusiasm that made Dakota even more tired. Her spear was twice her size and, with its Imperial Gold spearhead, must've weighed more as well. Dakota supposed that Frank and Reyna had presumed nothing would be of such importance that any weapons would be necessary. Even if the probatio had been capable of wielding the spear, the armor would probably make her fall like an anchor before she even took two steps towards the enemy. The probatio tablet hung from her neck and she wore it like a trophy, despite the fact that she was still in the lowest rank possible. Dakota wished he could borrow some of her energy in order to get him through the day.

The constant rumble of cars, trucks, and motorcycles on the highway was soothing at first, but then as it mingled with the horrible smell of gasoline it became less pleasing to the ear. Like the constant droning of cicadas; it was nice background noise, but once you began to focus on it the sound became very agitating. Dakota wondered how the Mist was disguising them. Were they maintenance workers? Rogue teens spraying graffiti all over the walls? It really did not matter, though, because as long as they were concealed from mortals it was fine by him. The demigod tried to pass the time by counting how many silver vehicles passed, but as time stretched out into eternity and he lost count after seventy-eight, it was obvious that it was just getting him more on his nerves than before.

"So is this what it's like every time you're on sentry duty?" the probatio asked, her voice obviously betraying the fact that her excitement had gradually waned. They were not permitted to talk, but nobody really followed that rule, and the Praetors didn't bother to enforce it if it would only continue. It was like banning gum from school; it would only encourage the kids to do it more often.

"Trust me, err…" The son of Bacchus faltered, not very keen on everyone's name at Camp Jupiter. The probatio was no different.

"Amalthea." she stated, looking sideways at him with big blue eyes.

"Trust me, Amalthea, it only gets worse." Dakota replied, wiping a bead of sweat off of his brow. The tunnel withheld heat like a giant furnace, and with all of their armor on it was sweltering beyond belief. It didn't help that all of the fumes were just making the air thicker. Amalthea was in an obvious state of discomfort, shifting constantly from foot to foot, and Dakota's palms became as slick as if he had dunked them in water. Due to this fact, it became quite difficult to grip his sword. Just when the boredom and the heat became practically unbearable, a flicker of movement in the corner of Dakota's eye caught his attention.

The heat completely forgotten as adrenaline began to pulse through his veins, he motioned to Amalthea and the probatio immediately stiffened. He saw it again; a shift in the shadows to their far right. That's when the screech of tires filled the tunnel like a person's dying scream, and a Ford went veering into the wall. The engine burst into flames and consumed the entire car, with the driver only barely able to claw her way out. Another car smashed into the first, and Dakota knew that the people in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat and died a quick death, only painful for a split second. He did not know whether there were others in the backseat or what had become of them. People slammed on the brakes and the smell of burning rubber filled the tunnel with a horrible scent. Horns blared and utter panic ensued, with mortals stopping and clambering out of their cars in order to get away from the utter disaster. Amalthea let out a terrified squeak, and her armor rattled as she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

Then, through the smoke of the growing flames, a silhouette began to take shape. Dakota leveled his weapon towards her, his throat as dry as a desert and his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, to the point where he thought it would burst out of his chest, grow legs, and run away whilst screaming in terror. He knew Amalthea had it worse, due to the fact that she had never seen a real battle or a real monster before, and he made it his mission to protect her at all costs, even though they were supposed to be willing to sacrifice each other. Then a girl burst out of the fumes, coughing and gagging. She was covered in dirt and blood, her hair matted and her eyes wild. Dakota breathed out a sigh of relief; it wasn't a horrible Cyclops or a bloodthirsty hellhound, it was simply a girl, maybe even a demigod seeking shelter.

As Dakota peeled away the layers of blood and grime he found that she was quite pretty, with vibrant blue eyes and dark reddish hair. She was short and skinny, but not too skinny, and she had long fingers like a pianist's. He assumed that freckles would have dotted her face had she not been so filthy, but otherwise she seemed quite benign. However there were things he wasn't able to understand, like the way she carried herself; there was a grace to her, a grace that would normally be associated with a panther or deadly big cat. When her feet touched the ground, Dakota did not hear footsteps. Then again there was such chaos around them that one could scream at the top of their lungs and still not be heard. He was also aware of the fact that she was deathly pale, but that must've been the light.

That's when she took notice of them and tilted her head to the side, in a rather creepy and animal-like way. Dakota supposed she was acting odd either from the shock of the car crash or the shock of being on the run from monsters after training with Lupa. She took a deep breath, and shuddered a bit, and the demigods exchanged anxious glances. Did they really smell that bad? Dakota decided that he would take the risk, even after Amalthea shook her head wildly from side to side, causing her honey blonde curls to whip back and forth. Dakota, however, ignored her.

"Excuse me! Miss?!" Dakota had to yell over the noise in order to communicate. The girl, realizing that he was addressing her, approached cautiously. She did not appear to be armed, which was odd considering the fact that Lupa should had supplied her with a weapon; she couldn't brave the monsters empty-handed. Maybe she had lost it, but Dakota found himself making up a lot of "maybes" to address certain oddities about the girl before him.

"Are you Roman soldiers?!" she asked, her voice chocolatey and quite hypnotizing. Even Amalthea seemed lulled by the beautiful sound, and it took Dakota about a full minute before he could form words.

"Yes! Do you need help?! Are you a demigod?!" This occurred to the son of Bacchus as quite risky; what if she was simply a mortal that could see through the Mist like Rachel Elizabeth Dare? He had revealed a lot just by that one reply, and he decided to watch his words carefully as the conversation continued. The girl, whose spirits seemed to have boosted, whisked over with a rather fast and seamless walk.

"I am looking for other demigods! Are you a demigod?!" Dakota knew that answering this question would be reasonably foolish of him, so he decided to reply with a question.

"Are you?!" That's when he saw her hands. From a distance he had thought she had had pianist's fingers, but what had added to their length were huge, razor-sharp talons. Amalthea had caught sight of them too, and she was now shaking harder than before. Without a second to spare Dakota drove his sword right through the girl's chest. It may have looked and talked like a girl, but even its walk had been different. Dakota should've known it was a monster from the beginning.

What he had expected was for it to crumble to golden dust. That, however, did not happen. Blood welled up and dripped down, lathering the blade of Dakota's sword in red. Horrified, the son of Bacchus let go and stumbled back, shielding Amalthea with his body. The "girl" examined the Imperial Gold sword that had entered through its chest on one side and had gone straight through its body to the other side. The sword should have punctured its heart. It should have torn its lungs into ribbons. It should have been just a pile of dust at his feet. But no, that was not the case.

"Ouch." it pouted, no longer acting like a poor, frightened girl. She gripped the hilt with one hand and yanked the sword out without even wincing, letting it clatter to the ground. It was coated in so much of her blood that it had practically bathed in it. The Imperial Gold began to sizzle and steam, the blood like acid, and pretty soon it was nothing but a melted husk attached to a corroded hilt.

"What the hell are you?" Dakota hissed, snatching Amalthea's spear from her hands, his voice steady. On the inside, however, he was screaming. He knew that the spear wouldn't do jack squat on the creature before him, but he had to either kill the beast or die trying.

"Oh, my feelings." it crooned, slapping a hand over its heart in mock hurt. "I prefer to be called a who, if you don't mind." Its blue eyes slit like a viper's and it smiled, revealing two rows of wickedly sharp teeth. Dakota was now shaking as hard as Amalthea, the spear quivering in his hands.

"W-w-who are you?" he gulped, his eyes darting towards the door. If he could just get back to camp and warn the others, he would be safe. However the monster was standing between him and his escape, and she seemed well aware of the fact that that was where he had intended to retreat.

"Lilith."

"What?"

"They call me Lilith. And just because the gods say that our kind cannot rebel against their children does not mean that we can't have a snack once in a while."

-Ω-

Dakota was coughing up blood as it welled from the huge slashes in his neck, which had not been deep enough to kill him. Medics swarmed him as he struggled to cling to life, trying to stop the bleeding in any way possible. They fed him as many squares of ambrosia as they dared, and he had been guzzling so much nectar and Kool-Aid that Reyna had ordered to cut off his supply. Yet despite this the wounds would not heal. Nothing seemed to be working and the entire camp had been thrown into a frenzy. They had found Dakota crawling out of the Caldecott Tunnel, covered in his own blood and sobbing about how his partner, Amalthea, had not made it.

"Centurion Dakota, you _do not_ have permission to die, do you understand me?" Frank bellowed while Reyna clutched the son of Bacchus' hand as if it were a lifeline. Dakota could only barely nod, the anguish so visible in his eyes they began to feel pain as well. The son of Ares looked over at Dakota's armor…or what was left of it. Hazel had been brought in to inspect it, being an expert at metals and precious stones. Her face was clouded with worry, though a clear sheen of fear as well as bemusement could be seen through it. The armor had been torn to shreds as if it were fabric and, according to the retired monster experts that lived in the city, it had not taken the creature several tries to penetrate it. It was like a hot knife cutting through butter.

"It…it had a message." Dakota whispered, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't speak. You'll only make it worse as well as more painful for yourself." ordered one of the medics, whose hands were flying over Dakota's bare chest; applying medicines and herbs and powdered alicorns. The son of Bacchus, however, was having none of it.

"H-h-her name was….L-Lilith." he managed, his fists clenching so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Lilith?" Reyna asked, and both Praetors swore that they had heard that name from somewhere before. Then Hazel came over, her eyes wide with shock.

"Did…did he just say Lilith? The first demon ever created? The first mortal soul to ever be twisted into a monster?" she gulped, her voice almost as hoarse as Dakota's.

"You were attacked by a demon?" Frank questioned, even though the medic was giving them a venomous stare for trying to hold conversation with a dying patient.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Dakota chuckled wryly, agony laced through his voice like venom. Each word was like a knife wound in the other demigods' hearts.

"But demons don't exist." Reyna muttered to herself, for once looking completely out of control of things.

"Well the message was the only reason she kept me alive…or slightly alive." the son of Bacchus murmured, his voice now as quiet as a whisper. He leaned in, which obviously caused him great pain, and Hazel and the Praetors did the same. The whole room seemed to hold its breath as Dakota uttered two words.

"We're coming."

The demigod collapsed back onto the sheets, blood beginning to flow from his mouth like a waterfall. He was delirious from the agony and the whole world was blurring together, the distant shout of the medics meaning everything and nothing to him at the same time.

 _"_ _We're losing him!"_

 _"_ _We're losing him!"_

Then he turned his head to see a dark-skinned man in a black toga leaning over him, his long black hair framing his beautiful face. Large black wings spread behind him, glimmering in the blurry lights that blazed too brightly for Dakota to bear.

"Are you an angel?" the demigod whispered. The man smiled gently, his soft black eyes so full of welcome that Dakota just wanted to melt into his arms.

"Yes, Dakota. And I am here to take you home." The angel grasped the son of Bacchus' hand, yet not quite. He did not feel it in the real world, but he did feel a tug at his soul, egging it out of his body. The demigod did not resist. He felt like he was floating, however when he looked down he saw himself, a mangled boy with his eyes closed. Dakota smiled sadly and allowed the angel to lead him to wherever he was to go next, and the world melted away into oblivion, leaving behind nothing but the anguished cries of those who he had left behind.

 **QUOTE OF THE DAY:**

Nerd Girl Problem #25

England has a magical channel called BBC where shows like _Sherlock_ and _Doctor Who_ originated. America has E!, which boasts _Jersey Shore_ and _Keeping Up With the Kardashians._


	7. Incursio

**(A/N) I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY AND I HATED MYSELF FOR NOT UPDATING IT'S JUST THAT I STARTED THE SEQUEL TO ANOTHER ONE OF MY STORIES, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY MOST POPULAR ONES, AND I HAD TO PUT THIS ONE OFF FOR A WHILE AS I ALSO WROTE A NOVEL WHICH STILL HAS YET TO BE COMPLETE BECAUSE I AM A LAZY-ASS PERSON.**

 **Disclaimer: I own none of the characters but I do own the alternate universe they live in.**

"Dakota's dead." Nico said as he barged out of the crappy bathroom into the equally crappy main room of their incredibly crappy motel room. "Reyna and Frank just sent me an Iris message." His face was plastered with grief, for he had considered Dakota a good friend in his time in the Fifth Cohort. He wrung his hands behind his back, hiding his anxiety from his two companions. Jason and Will leapt to their feet, completely abandoning their game of Go Fish with their gritty deck of cards, which they had found forgotten in the drawers of one of the dressers. They went spiraling to the floor as the demigods' weight had lifted from the edge of Jason's bed, though everyone was in such a state of shock that they didn't bother to pick them up.

"What happened?" Jason asked, utterly stunned. He stood rooted to the spot, processing the information that had been given to him, his blue eyes brimming with grief, though there was no sign or oncoming tears in sight. Nico felt a twinge of pity for the son of Jupiter; the blond-haired boy had known Dakota longer than anyone else in the room, not that there was much competition when it came to Will.

"He was practically torn open." Nico replied grimly, recounting how Frank's voice broke when he had said this, attempting to keep it together. He had to leave soon after to tend to Camp Jupiter's activities since the camp, mourning the death of one of their most esteemed Centurions, was having difficulty functioning, due to the fact that the Fifth Cohort was virtually crumbling. Had Frank been there Reyna would have spared all of the gory details, however that was not the case as, with an obviously heavy heart, Reyna described the incident.

Nico continued and relayed all the information that the Praetor had presented to him. Dakota had been on sentry duty with a probatio named Amalthea, and the shift had been uneventful, or so it seemed to the rest of the camp. When their shift was over two other demigods went to replace them, however what they had found was much worse than anything imaginable: Amalthea had been ripped to shreds, and some of her organs had been missing, as if they had been eaten by some savage creature. The event had not occurred long before they had arrived, however there had been an incredible car accident within the tunnel as well. Dakota was still conscious, clinging to life, huge claw marks slashing through his armor and digging deep into the soft flesh of his stomach.

Right before he had died, the son of Bacchus had said the creature had had a message for them: "We're coming." Then he had died, and there had been nothing they could do about it. Ambrosia and nectar had been useless, unable to work their magic for some reason, and therefore everyone had had to watch as Dakota crossed over to the other side.

Jason paced back and forth as it all sunk in, clenching and unclenching his fists. Nico could see Wills hair starting to stick up like Einstein's as electricity and static began to crackle through the air at the son of Jupiter's rage. The lights flickered on and off and the TV and radio began going haywire causing the sons of Hades and Apollo to clamp their hands over their ears.

"Jason." Nico yelled firmly over the static of the TV and the crazed whirring and screeching of the radio, his hands seemingly unable to keep out the cacophony. "Jason stop." The son of Jupiter halted, his muscles so taught that he may as well have been as wound up as a coil. He took a few deep breaths, attempting to compose himself, and gradually the haywire electricity came to a halt, plunging the three back into a sweet quiet. They heard confused talking through the walls to their left and right, and Nico supposed that they weren't the only ones that had experienced such freaking technical dilemmas. The son of Hades took a moment to marvel at how powerful Jason was as a demigod, and had the love of his life not been Will, he would have started to develop a slight crush.

"Sorry, guys. I was just so…" Will placed a reassuring hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it." he replied with a shake of his head. "We all have to blow off steam sometimes." The son of Apollo's voice was firm, reassuring, and rather convincing, and Nico was reminded of the reason why he had chosen Will over some guy like Jason. He would have kissed him right then and there, but he didn't want Jason to feel uncomfortable. The son of Jupiter nodded, his eyes thankful, and Will let his hand fall to his side.

There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence before Jason said, "So you think Perseus is behind this?"

"How can he get from the tristate area to Camp Jupiter?" Will asked, incredulous as he plopped back down onto the bed, whose springs squealed like a dying animal as they supported the demigod's weight.

"Shadow travel, maybe." the son of Jupiter replied with a shrug. "He _is_ a demon."

"No it wasn't Perseus. Reyna told me that Dakota had been given a name; the creature had told it to him right before it attacked." Nico stated and his two blond companions perked up, their blue eyes sparkling with interest. "Lilith."

"Lilith? It does ring a bell, but if it wasn't Perseus then what other creature could it possibly be? A hellhound? A very angry cyclops? A group of empousae? A hydra?" Will asked, his brows furrowing together in a rather endearing way.

"Maybe a drakon or a sphinx. Possibly a rabid group of bloodthirst dracanae?" Jason added.

"No, none of those really match. There was no evidence of poison and neither Dakota nor what was left of Amalthea suffered from burns, so that rules out drakons and hydras. Cyclops usually rip their victims apart with their hands, but Amalthea was clearly shredded by some sort of sharp weapon; her…err…seams were too neat as stated by Reyna."

"Eww." Jason and Will hissed in unison as they shifted uncomfortably, causing the springs on the bed to scream bloody murder.

Nico continued, "Dracanae either stab with weapons or constrict, and of course none of them were constricted. No weapon anyone has ever seen can tear apart Imperial Gold like that. Sphinxes usually dwell in caves and do not attack or confront people unless said people were trying to pass, so that's out too. Empousae are out of the picture because they drain their victims before tearing them apart, and so are hellhounds because their claws aren't strong enough to tear apart armor like how it was, nothing is. Though Reyna said that Hazel was telling her how Lilith was the name of the first demon."

"The first demon? As in _first, first_?" Jason asked, gaping and running his hand through his hair in exasperation. The son of Hades waved him off, chuckling.

"No, Lilith is just some made-up demon from this show she watches called Supernatural." he replied with a roll of his eyes. "She's completely obsessed."

"Does she ship Destiel?" Jason asked, and at first Nico thought he was kidding. That, however, was not the case as his blue eyes blazed with seriousness.

"I don't…know." Nico replied slowly. "But it doesn't matter."

"Babe listen for a minute. Is it just some freaky coincidence that two Romans were mauled beyond belief by something named after the first demon while we work on a case involving demons?" Will questioned. "Didn't Chiron tell us that there isn't really such thing as coincidences?" Nico considered this, but didn't understand how a real, living, breathing demon that killed three families could relate to a fake demon from the TV, who never really killed anyone.

"Wait a minute." the son of Hades said suddenly, an idea forming in his head. He grinned. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

-Ω-

"Ella was scared. She doesn't like traveling by magic." Tyson said crossly, regarding the red-feathered harpy, who was perched precariously on the cyclops' burly shoulder. The son of Poseidon's soft brown eye was clouded with worry, and he glared at the three demigods. "This better be good."

"Ella doesn't like fast. Ella might be sick." she muttered, her red hair and feathers slightly ruffled from the trip.

"I'm so glad you came, Tyson." Nico said, a grin spreading across his face as he was enveloped in a crushing hug.

"You're my blood brother. Helping is what brothers are for." The peanut butter-loving leader of Poseidon's cyclops army had improved his linguistics drastically since the last time Nico had seen him, which had been a while. The son of Hades only then realized how much he had missed the gentle giant, as well as the super-smart harpy with the photographic memory. The two had teleported using nereid pearls, much like the ones Nico, Will, and Grover had used to escape Hades' palace on their first-ever quest, much to Ella's distaste; she wouldn't stop ranting about herself in third person on how she despised traveling "fast."

They were all standing in a copse of trees that obscured them from prying eyes, however they were smack-dab in the middle of a park. That, however, had not prevented them from calling Tyson and Ella for help. It was reaching the end of the day and light filtered through the foliage of the trees above, which rustled in the slight breeze that wove through their boughs. Leaves crunched and twigs snapped whenever the assembled group shifted or moved, and light filtered through the leaves, leaving spiraling patterns of dancing shadows across the ground. They could see mortals making their way down the park's cement paths, some pushing strollers, some holding their children's hands, others absorbed in their phones, and the rest jogging or walking with earbuds in their ears. It was such a normal sight, so normal that it made Nico ache for his life before he had been taken to Camp Half-Blood. Sure, it had been a living hell, but at least his mother and his sister had been there, and now he had to stay at camp 24/7.

"We need both of you to help us." Will explained, jolting Nico out of his thoughts. His boyfriend was slightly ruffled from his fair share of cyclops hugs, but nevertheless his blue eyes still sparkled like diamonds, his hair like a golden halo as it caught the light. It stole Nico's breath away, and it took the son of Hades a few moments to get it back. "With demons." At this, Ella stiffened, somehow managing to tremble even more.

"Demons. Demons are bad. 2 Peter 2:4 ' _For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgment_.'" she whimpered.

"So you know about demons?" Jason asked hopefully, his voice reserved due to the fact that he did not wish to startle the harpy any more than he needed. Ella, delighted at being given a task, nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, yes! Psalm 106:37-38 ' _They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.'_ " she quoted, all without taking a breath. Nico nodded encouragingly, however on the inside his stomach was churning at the image of crazy people sacrificing innocent children to horrible and wretched beasts like Perseus.

"Do you know anything about killing demons?" Will questioned. "And leave out all the nonsense; what's the real way?" Ella considered this for a moment, and it was the first time Nico had ever in his life seen the harpy pause to think about it. Then the harpy grinned, her eyes sparkling.

"Perseus 5:7 ' _And thus he plunged his blade into the demon's abdomen, and it withered and died from its divine power.'_ "

"There isn't a Perseus in the Bible." Will said quizzically. "I mean, I'm not really for any religion since the only gods I know are pagan gods, but I know there's a Paul and a Psalm, but not a Perseus."

"Not the Bible, silly!" Ella squawked as she hopped to Tyson's other shoulder, still ginning. "The demonic one!"

"You mean like the Satanic Bible?" Nico asked, wondering why he hadn't checked it yet. Then again, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter's archives didn't really contain it.

"No, worse." Ella replied.

"Then how did you get your hands on it?" he asked.

"Can't say." the harpy sang. "Can't say, can't say, can't say, can't say!" Nico could see the clear irritation on his companion's face, and Tyson was beginning to fidget nervously.

"So what you're saying is that we need an angel to kill a demon?" Will questioned, his blue eyes sparkling in the light of the setting sun.

"Not necessarily." Ella said, her grin becoming quite sly. "Author: Perseus. Perseus wrote how to kill a demon in the demon bible. Perseus is a demon. Therefore, a demon can only be killed by another demon."

-Ω-

"This is quite nice, wouldn't you agree, O'Leary?" The hellhound only replied by licking the demon's face with her large tongue. Her red eyes burned as saliva dripped from her jowls, and when it came to other beings she would tear them apart piece by piece, however when it came to the black-haired green-eyed demon that served as both her master and her best friend, she was a complete sweetheart. Perseus chuckled, leaning against Mrs. O'Leary's coarse hide and running his fingers through it. Despite the fact that it looked wild and matted from a distance, his fingers were able to comb through it easily.

"I can sense my brothers and sisters. I am not alone." The hellhound grunted huffily at this, causing the demon to grin, his expression almost as wolfish as Mrs. O'Leary's, and added, "Of course, I was never alone with you around." Perseus wondered why he hadn't summoned his hellhound more often; he relished her company, and it was the same vice versa. She showed emotion yet did not reply, and Perseus did not like others advising him to be more careful or tell him how to live his life. Therefore, he was content with Mrs. O'Leary's silence and Mrs. O'Leary was content with belly rubs and back scratches.

A navy sky stretched before them, spangled with stars beyond belief. The only houses that could be seen were mere dots that were scattered here and there which, aside from improving the scenery, caused it to become a hassle for Percy to find food. Mrs. O'Leary fed herself and for that Perseus was thankful, and he decided that his hellhound was, indeed, a friend. He had never really had friends, being a consumer of human flesh and all, on top of the fact that he had not seen another of his kind in centuries, but at least he had Mrs. O'Leary.

The two were sprawled at the edge of a cliff in the Catskills, the hellhounds' shadow-traveling abilities making the journey less than a minute's trip. It overlooked a very breathtaking group of huge mountains that rolled along as if they were blown-up versions of hills. The trees were like grass, each leaf being a single blade, the large boulders swept onto their surfaces from the Ice Age mere pebbles underfoot. And the small burrows called houses were home to little families of mice that scurried about and did their business, completely unaware of the higher powers that resided above. But now a population of cats had been thrown into the mix, and now that the mice had completely taken over, destroying the ecosystem completely, they needed something, or a few somethings, to thin their population out.

Perseus watched, and due to the fact that demons really had no concept of beauty, was neither awe-inspired nor breathless at the scenery that sprawled before him like a gateway to the world. His pupils had dilated and he could see perfectly despite the fact that the moon was merely a dark smudge in the night sky. The constellations seemed so far away, however

"You know, O'Leary." The hellhound's ears perked when she heard her name, angling towards him to show that she was listening, however she had laid her head down to rest long before. "I feel great, better than I've had in a millennia. I think 'Nobody can ever feel as good as I feel now' but then I realize, mortals are feeling this way every day. They wake up, knowing they aren't the only ones left in the world, and go about their mortal day in their mortal town. The last time I was this happy, humanity had not even been created yet. Then again, the creation of humanity was when it all started going downhill.

Perseus continued, "I really like it here. It's probably better than Hell. Then again, I've never been to Hell, ya know?" Mrs. O'Leary grumbled in agreement, stretching out as her joints popped and then settling back into place again. There was a long, drawn out moment of time that could have lasted years for all Perseus knew. He just sat there and watched as the stars twinkled down at him, undoubtedly glaring in disapproval, but he didn't give a crap about what the judgmental stars thought. Just because they were in the sky didn't mean that they ruled, and Perseus was perfectly content with his current situation. That's when his stomach lurched, snarling as savagely as Mrs. O'Leary when she was irritated.

"Mortals are supposed to be filling!" Perseus groaned, his head making a muffled sound when it landed on Mrs. O'Leary's cushiony fur. Why do I have to go through the hassle of killing them and keeping it hush-hush if it only fills me up for three days? I need a week at least or else I'll be going through them like a how a teenage mortal girl goes through clothes."


	8. Infernalis

**(A/N) Sorry about the incredibly long update I was on vacation and had to handle one of my other stories. Hope you guys like it.**

So yeah I changed the summary because it made the story seem like it was just about Artemis and would center around her and her hunters, however that is not the case so I decided to change it.

 **Disclaimer: I OWN ONLY THE PLOT**

Even heroes know when to be scared, and this statement was proven when a boy with black hair knocked on the man's door. He smiled, his expression wolfish, though the man supposed that it was intended to seem polite. His facial structure implied Greek origins, however his complexion was sickly pale, like a corpse's. His slick black hair glinted in the weak light of the waxing crescent moon, and his green eyes, which were like that of a raging sea, shone sinisterly. Had the man not been a retired demigod, one who had just traveled into the mortal world from Camp Half-Blood, he would suppose that the boy was harmless, stopping to ask for directions and whatnot. The man would also be oblivious to the wickedly vicious fangs that were revealed when he smiled, as well as the fact that his eyes glinted with malice that only monsters posessed. There was also the little black standard poodle puppy that sat on its haunches behind him, its tail bobbing back and forth, but once the man looked through the Mist he saw a hellhound that was almost as large as a tank, with glowing red eyes and a mastiff-like body structure.

The man, Kenneth Robinson, had no idea what this thing was, however it had big company, and therefore he decided to play it cool. "What brings a kid like you here out at this time of night?" he asked blearily, glancing at the clock. It read 12 o' clock exactly. He felt unprepared for battle, since all he was wearing was a loose T-shirt with the Superman logo on it and long, plaid pajama bottoms. He had neither armor nor a sword at his disposal; all of his weaponry and important demigod items were upstairs in his room, though he had a large bag of ambrosia and a huge container of nectar waiting in his fridge in case of emergencies.

"I strayed a bit off the road and I need help contacting my mom; I left my cellphone at home and I was wondering if I could borrow yours. May I come inside?" Ken, who was the son of Demeter, knew that inviting the monster inside was practically suicide, but then again refusing would come to similar results. He sighed, rubbing his eyes, but eventually he nodded and stepped aside, allowing a monster and its pet hellhound to walk inside. A potted plant, which was nowhere near the poodle, fell over as the hellhound's shaggy fur brushed against it. Ken gestured for the black-haired not-boy to sit down, and he smiled in faux appreciation, revealing those wicked fangs once more.

"What's your mother's number? Or father, for that matter?" the man asked, picking up one of his portable landline phones that sat on an end table nearby. He didn't expect the monster to answer, however he did it with memorized precision, much like a normal teenaged boy who knew his parent's number, though it wasn't that hard to memorize.

"666-666-6666. Unfortunate phone number, I know." he replied. _How come I'm not surprised?_ Ken thought, shaking his head. He was about to dial when he paused, knitting his brows together.

"666 isn't an area code, at least not in the United States. Didn't it belong to a town called Reeves in Louisiana until 2007? There was a news story on it." The monster's lips tightened into a thin line, his green pupils slitting like a viper's and then returning to their normal shape. Okay that was a bit creepy, however the son of Demeter forced himself to stay calm. The little poodle puppy growled, its beady black eyes almost as terrible as the red ones it boasted as its form flickered and revealed its tank-sized mastiff form, but then it went back to a little poodle once more.

He held the phone up to his ear as it rang once. Twice. Three times. Ken wasn't surprised as it continued to ring with no response, and just as he was sure the answering machine would come on, someone picked up. Needless to say that Ken was more than startled, however with the monster watching him out of the corner of his eye he quickly recovered.

"Hello?" said a sleek, drawling feminine voice. Way too young to be a mother, specifically this boy's mother, for she sounded to be about his age, though there was something in her tone, something that all monsters had, that signaled that she was much, much older.

"Yes, ma'am I have your son at my house. He seems to be lost. Would you mind picking him up?" the son of Demeter said evenly, fighting a losing battle to keep the wavering note out of his voice. There was no doubt that, despite the fact that he could not, indeed, see her, this woman was also a monster, much like the one that was but two feet away from him. Ken wondered what the hell he was up against. The poodle was undoubtedly a hellhound, the biggest one he had ever seen in fact, however the boy was a whole new level of weird, and from a demigod's POV that must be crazy weird.

What monster class could it possibly belong to?

Dracaenae? No; the monster before him was neither female, nor snake-legged, and as far as Ken knew, dracaenae could not shape-shift.

Dragons? Nope; they couldn't morph into humans. Dragons, though cunning, were the burn-you-to-a-crisp-and-eat-you-first-ask-questions-later type.

Drakons? No; same situation as dragons. And they weren't very smart, either. Certainly not smart enough to form a plan as complex as this one.

He had gone through every reptilian monster that he had ever been taught about, however there was no match. They either didn't have snake eyes or had snake eyes but weren't smart enough for human speech. Ken didn't want to battle the monster too soon, for he had no idea how to kill it, however he knew that by the time this beast's "mother" came, he wanted to have his trusty, double-edged Celestial Bronze sword, Virgo, in his hand. For now he needed to make the monster comfortable in order to make sure that his death was, at least, delayed somewhat. He sat on the couch across from the monster's and folded his hands in his lap, unsure whether he was fit for hand-to-hand combat with a monster that was obviously very powerful. He decided to strike up conversation, see if the monster would give away secrets because he thought the demigod was going to die anyway.

"So…I take it you don't get out much?" he asked, trying to be the least suspicious he could possibly manage. When the boy seemed confused the demigod gestured to his sallow skin, which, judging by his Greek face shape, should've been a very vibrant olive. Ken, even to himself, sounded very suspicious, and if the monster hadn't already known of his ancestry, he certainly was apprehensive now. Despite this the boy let on no sign of wariness, and he instead smiled sadly.

"No, other kids don't really like to hang around me." Ken fought the urge to say, " _I can see why,"_ however he only smiled politely and nodded.

"Yeah, I can relate," he sighed. "Other kids treated me like a freak show, but trust me, kid, it gets better." For a moment Ken swore that the monster chuckled with amusement, but he singled it out as a trick his ears were playing on him. There was a long, drawn out, and increasingly awkward period of silence where the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the huge hellhound's breathing, which was much akin to the sound of an old steam train chugging along. Ken had no idea what else to say, and the monster was obviously not willing to strike up conversation, another key factor to its intelligence. Finally, after what Ken estimated was twenty minutes, he rose to his feet.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Tell me if your mom comes." However Ken was only saying that because it felt like what a normal host would say. In truth what he really wanted to discover was that the monster was gone when he came back down, or that it was all some sort of twisted nightmare. When he was being completely honest with himself, he knew that he wasn't ready for this type of battle. His powers were useless, for one could not make vines grow within a house, and potted plants gone mad would not be much use since they weren't anchored to the earth.

 _Mom, please. If you're listening, I need help. I'm not sure whether it's just a monster I've forgotten about or whether it's something that I've never seen. But it's powerful. I'm not one of the Seven. I'm not strong enough to fight this. So please…I don't want to die._ He hoped his prayer did not go unanswered like most of them did, but he prayed anyway as he ascended the steps, which creaked and moaned under his weight. When he finally reached the top of the steps he felt much worse; there was a _monster_ in his _house._ The one place that was supposed to be safe, and it was sitting on his couch downstairs. Waiting. As Ken quickly walked into his room and grabbed the hilt of his sword, which was propped up against the corner, he wondered why the monster was taking its time with attacking him. Somehow this reserved politeness ws even worse than a whirl of teeth and claws, which Ken was trained to handle. He had not been trained to handle a monster that negotiated.

That's when he heard the doorbell ring. He stiffened visibly, his hand clamped over his sword, and he heard the telltale click of the door being unlocked from the inside. Not a word was uttered, however there were now two sets of feet trotting on the floor below, joined by the _click-click-click-click_ clicking of the poodle's stubby nails, which, in truth, were foot-long razors. Ken decided that it was best for him to stay upstairs rather than go down and confront them, for once he got down there he would no doubt be ambushed. He was unsure of whether he could handle _one_ of the beasts, however when there were _two_ of them he was royally screwed. There was a long tense period of complete and utter silence, with only the sounds of crickets chirping and tree frogs croaking breaking the veil.

Then the same voice that he had confronted on the phone said, "Alright, son of Demeter, I suggest you drop this game of hide and seek before it gets out of hand, and mind you my son and I are _very_ good seekers." Trembling from head to toe and still in his pajamas, Ken slowly made his way down the stairs, clutching Virgo in his hands as if it were a lifeline, which, in this case scenario, was probably true. His breathing had turned ragged and his heart was beating frantically against his ribcage, and there was no doubt that the monsters could hear it, as well as smell the fear that was pulsing off of him in waves.

Ken turned the corner and came face to face with his visitors. The Mist was still doing its best to make the hellhound look like a normal dog, however Ken was only more intimidated by the fact that its form kept flickering from devil dog to standard poodle and back again. The boy was still there, however he wasn't trying to be polite anymore. His viper eyes gleamed with a cold, sick amusement and his lopsided grin was anything but playful as his fangs gleamed in the light. He stood beside a girl who looked about his age, even though she had referred to herself as his mother. Her hair was the color of rust, with a sprinkling of freckles to match, that was tied back in a messy bun, and her eyes glowed an unnatural blue, her pupils matching that of her son's. She did not show teeth when she smiled, her lips pulling into a thin smirk.

Ken finally managed to find his voice. "W-w-who a-a-re you?" The hellhound let out a few chuffs that were quite similar to laughter, and the boy joined in soon after. The girl, who was obviously the leader, held up her hand and they both silenced.

"My name is Lily, at least that's what most mortals call me. My real name is Lilith, and here is my son, Perseus," she told him as if they were two old friend having a causal conversation. "Of course, he isn't my only son. I'm the Mother, I gave birth to all. Most of my kind call each other 'brother' and 'sister', but I am Mother, and Mum, or as you Americans like to say it, Mom, always knows best for all of her children. Isn't that right, Perseus?"

"Indeed it is, Mother Dearest," the boy replied, not a hint of sarcasm in his tone. That was very odd, considering that even for a monster it seemed like the type to be sassy and sarcastic, however this monster either had so much respect for its mother that it was strictly obedient and polite or the monster feared her above all else. Ken's money was on the latter, however he was more concentrated on his very, very big problem; how the hell was he going to survive this? He couldn't beat the quote unquote "mother", which only reminded him of the dark days of Gaea, Mother Earth, and her giants. Gaea had to be defeated by the seven, and he _certainly_ wasn't one of the seven.

"Listen. Ken," she said, her voice sweet like the potent scent of a carnivorous flower luring unsuspecting prey to its death. "I have a problem. You see, it's incredibly hard to mother such a great mass of children, and all of my children need to feast on flesh and blood regularly," she chuckled when she saw the horrified expression on Ken's face, "However when we consume more powerful blood, we do not need to feed as often."

"G-g-get to the point." Ken managed to choke out, leveling his sword at the two monsters.

"You need to know that we demons, stop looking so shocked we're a very common part of folklore, have just been released from Hell, with the help of my favorite son, here," she ruffled Perseus' hair in a very motherly way, though Perseus did not seem too happy about it, "and we need food. If we eat all the humans up we'll all starve for the rest of eternity, so I decided to do a little thing I like to call insurance. Each family gets their own demigod, with strong, godly blood in their veins, and that demigod provides for the family for the rest of their days. The demons, of course, cannot suck them dry as a raisin or tear them to pieces like the norm, however the suffering of a select few will save an entire world of people."

"So what are you saying?" Ken's voice was growing stronger, however Lilith finally grinned, revealing fangs that would cause saber-toothed tigers to crawl into a corner and weep.

"Oh, I don't want to go on monologue-ing like those classic villains in the movies, revealing all of my plans in the process, so I'm just going to say that you're the experiment."

Ken didn't remember much after that, but what he could decipher from the shifting haze was Lilith's cruel cackling. Then everything went black.


	9. Adversarii

**(A/N) SORRY ABOUT THE LONG UPDATE, MY PEEPS! School was getting in the way and one of my other stories was in much more desperate need of updating.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I. Own.** ** _Nothing._** **But the plot.**

 _Several days after Kenneth Robinson disappeared…_

Nico never thought he'd catch up to Perseus, however it was only when he, Jason, and Will had pinpointed his exact location did the realization dawn on him. The demon had started to become sloppy, leaving hordes of carnages in his wake. His existence was picked up by mortal authorities and he is now thought to be a wayward animal, being called the Midnight Slaughterer by many newspaper headlines, which the demigods had shuffled through day and night. Some claimed that he was a tiger escaped from a zoo, while others were positive it was a rabid panther. There was even a paper that suggested Perseus was a killer Dachshund with rabies. Nevertheless there was something that was missing, and the three demigods were well aware of it; most of the crime scenes, all of which were thought to be carnages of the Midnight Slaughterer, didn't really fit his description. Perseus slew his victims and left the house untouched, making it seem like they had disappeared into thin air, but the crime scenes were chaotically horrifying, as the three demigods had discovered when they impersonated FBI agents once more.

The one that really stuck to the back of his eyelids was the massacre of the Princeton family. It was so sloppy and manic that Nico had nearly chucked his guts into the nearby garbage can. Mr. Princeton was practically torn open, his ribcage but a hollow shell sitting within the gaping hole, all of his other organs missing, though his small intestine had been found hanging from a tree branch in his yard, dried blood staining the grass below, where it had dripped. Mrs. Princeton was no better, her back shredded, her decimated body suggesting that Perseus had eaten her like that, not bothering to flip her over. Bits and pieces of the Princeton's five-year old daughter lay scattered around the house, and the only thing left of their newborn son was a bloody bib.

Nico almost threw up as he recalled the wretched sight, which made him even more resolved in killing Perseus. Later in their research, Jason had suddenly realized that they were "looking in the wrong direction." Instead of killing him, which was impossible since there were no other demons alive to do it, the son of Jupiter had suggested they capture him instead; lock him in a Pentagram and just leave him there to rot for eternity. He had relayed his thoughts to the two other boys, who seemed to find it practical. They could get Hazel to manipulate the Mist there and make him seem like a tree or a rock, or they could have the Hephaestus cabin make a small magic barrier, much like the one that protected and concealed Camp Half-Blood. They had decided that it was worth a shot, no matter how slim the chances; innocent mortals were dying, whole families of them, and it was the demigods' duty to protect the others from suffering the same fate.

Nico's heart pounded as he, Jason, and Will emerged from the shadows, holding each other's hands. The two other demigods seemed quite rattled as they released their white-knuckled grips, but Nico was used to it, though it reminded him all too much of the Giant war, when he had nearly become one with the shadows. Despite their eventful, and rather quick, travels, they didn't utter a sound as they gazed around warily, their wide eyes scanning the dark woods around them. Nico didn't dare move, for fear that Perseus' hearing was so good he could hear a twig snap from a mile away, and the moment the son of Hades had stepped out of the shadow he had sensed death. It chilled him to the core, nearly paralyzing him, and he wondered how he had not been able to sense it before.

It was so overwhelming that his hands began to shake slightly, though that was partially out of the fear. Jason had paled to a color normally reserved for the spirits Nico met in the Underworld, and Will looked no better, though Nico had to admit that the son of Apollo looked stunning, the moonlight glancing off of his golden hair, which framed his face in perfect curls.

 _Now is not the time to marvel at how freaking hot and sexy your boyfriend looks right now._ Nico thought, prying his eyes away. He motioned to the two other demigods, pointing to the ground to signal that they should step where he stepped. Nico hated to admit it, but he actually practiced being scary and imposing, and therefore he was an expert at treading silently, though he didn't know the extent of Perseus' hearing abilities. The son of Hades still found it difficult to work his way over the ground, which was strewn with leaves that could crackle and twigs that could snap. Nico didn't even know how close he even was to the demon.

Jason and Will followed hesitantly, monitoring their footwork so closely that it seemed like their eyes were glued to the ground. Their weapons were already drawn, and the black blade of Nico's Stygian iron sword glowed wickedly in the darkness, as if drinking up the shadows to add to its own. Nico followed the feeling of death, which was pulsing out and repelling him, seeming to say, " _Go back. Go back._ " Nico took note of the fact that the forest was completely and utterly silent. The crows didn't crow, the songbirds were deadly quiet, and the crickets seemed to have lost their ability to make music. Mice didn't rustle in the underbrush and squirrels didn't even scamper through the trees. It was wholly and immeasurably soundless and noiseless, and Nico felt exposed in the silence, like anything could jump out at him and his companions.

They walked for a while, and every so often one of them would brush against some leaves or accidentally step on a twig. Every sound that was made, every disturbance, caused them to flinch. The trees began to thin out as they walked, and Nico wondered where the shadow travel had taken them. The wind nipped at his cheeks and nose, pecking at any exposed skin and causing his hairs to stand on end. He shivered, despite the fact that he was wearing his aviator jacket, which Will had given him last Christmas to replace his old one.

The trees began to thin out, and Nico felt quite exposed amidst the skinny boughs and sparse brush. They hadn't been climbing uphill, so that could only mean that they were approaching a clearing. His heart was racing a thousand miles an hour, and blood was roaring in his ears like a ferocious lion, his palms sweaty and slick as they clung to his Stygian Iron sword like a lifeline. Then, as he peeked through the trees, the ferocious lion seemed to whimper and run for its life as his heart almost stopped beating altogether. Jason and Will nearly bumped into him as he froze, becoming stiffer than a board, though they knew better than to ask why. As they followed his gaze, they became statue-like, their expressions frozen into one of horror.

There he was, his backed turned to them and his mussed black hair gleamed in the moonlight, as dark as Nico's sword. Even though Perseus was looking in the other direction, it was clear the he sensed their presence, and had possibly been waiting for them all along. His muscles were tense under the thin fabric of his black T-shirt, and he didn't even shiver as the wind buffeted his form, which made him seem weaker than he actually was. Nico knew it was Perseus simply by the way the death rolled off of him in waves that nearly brought the son of Hades to his knees. He was pretty sure he hadn't even felt this way when he'd confronted Death with a capital D, and the dude was the one who actually brought souls to the afterlife.

Jason and Will clearly sensed this death, however on a much more muted level, due to the fact that their fathers weren't the gods of the Underworld. Nico felt as if his heart was going to stop, and his eyes watered as if he were sticking his head out of a car window when the car was zooming down a highway. Will mistook it for tears and concern clouded his face, however Nico waved his boyfriend off. The dense of dread was becoming increasingly overwhelming; how were they going to trap Perseus when the demon already knew of their existence? He had slain thousands, and had practically torn mortals open. But when Dakota had claimed his killer was named Lilith and not Perseus, it had really bothered Nico. Only demons and gods were known to have such abilities of inflicting the damage that Lilith did, and it made Nico wondered whether Perseus wasn't the only demon out there. It would explain the sloppy killings, which weren't Perseus' but actually other demons', but that was impossible. Artemis had killed them a long time ago, which made Nico wonder. How could Artemis kill demons if the only thing that could kill a demon was another demon?

He was jerked out of his thoughts by a smooth, sleek voice, "Alright, there's no use of playing hide-and-go-seek when I already know your hiding place young demigods." Will paled considerably, and Jason seemed as if he were going to puke up his guts. It took Nico a moment to realize it was Perseus who had spoken, and, despite the fact that the demon was several yards away, his voice had been barely above a whisper, though it had carried in the silence. Nico turned to his companions, who shook their heads wildly, and stepped out of hiding. Without the trees to shield him he felt so exposed, the wind swooping down to batter him relentlessly. Perseus still had his back turned, and he felt helpless even as two of the most powerful demigods he knew took their places on either side of him. He grasped for Will's hand and found comfort in the soft lines of his boyfriend's soft, cushiony palm, gripping it tightly as if the son of Apollo would disappear if he let go.

"Aww, what a pleasant surprise," Perseus crooned, turning around to face them. Nico had liked it better when he had been looking away. As a homosexual who had feelings at the worst possible times, Nico's first thought had been, " _Hot diggity damn,"_ or something along the lines of that, since his brain was so muddled with fear he could barely process information being given to him. Then he looked at Perseus more closely and felt guilty that he'd thought he was hot. The demon was breathtakingly gorgeous at first glance, but once you really studied him he was a bit unsettling. Perseus' skin tone had tiptoed across the line of innocently pale, slipped through the land of Irishness, swaggered past the "dude-you-really-have-to-get-out-more" zone, and had ventured deep into the territory of corpse-like. Spider webs of blue veins raced up and down his arms and crept along the edges of his face. His eyes were a nice boy-next-door kind of sea green, however when his pupils slit like a snake's, Nico knew that he, Will, and Jason were in deeper shit than they'd thought.

The demon spread his arms in a gesture that could mean one of several things: "Welcome to my lair", "Come at me, bro", "Group hug", "Come closer", or "This is an evil villain gesture that signals that if you do, indeed, come closer I will rip you to pieces and then devour your remains." Nico was 99.9% positive that it was the last choice, and he was willing to bet his life and all that was precious to him that it certainly was not, indeed, "Group hug."

"Nico di Angelo," the son of Hades shivered as the demon uttered his name, testing it on his tongue as if he were trying on a new outfit, "how nice it is to meet you." His words were so chilled that he might as well have said, "How nice it is to _eat_ you." Perseus studied him for a moments, and the demigod felt like the demon's snakelike gaze was ripping right through his soul, though maybe it was; prying through all the other layers to see what was hidden underneath,

The black-haired monster looked at Nico's friends, as if just realizing that they were there. His eyebrows hiked skywards, though that was the only thing that betrayed a form of emotion; his face was like that of a statue's, still and expressionless. "I see you have brought guests, though I should have known," his eyes slid to Jason, and out of the corner of Nico's eye he saw the demigod seize up, "I can smell the reek of Zeus spawn anywhere." Will, though he seemed to be a tad bit jealous, looked mostly relieved that the demon had not singled him out, and Nico couldn't really blame him.

"So I suppose you are here to kill me? Sorry, boys, but no such luck," the demon chuckled; a cold, humorless sound, "And for my first testimony I say that I didn't do it."

"You'll need a lot more evidence than that," Nico growled, finally managing to find his voice.

"Well I'm so-rry _, Your Honor,_ " Perseus scoffed in reply, and Nico found that, on top of being terrifying and powerful, the demon had room for sass as well. "But I have to admit that my brothers and sisters do get a bit sloppy at times, especially Mother. I apologize on their behalf." Nico's stomach seemed to drop like a stone, and the satisfaction of seeing the demigods' shocked looks was clear on Perseus' face.

"B-b-brothers and sisters?" Nico squeaked, which didn't sound as heroic as he had intended. Perseus chuckled once more, and the son of Hades would have given anything for the courage to scream, "SHUT THE HELL UP! WHAT IS SO FUNNY?" at the top of his lungs.

"You see, boys," the corners of Perseus' mouth pulled upwards into a chilling leer, "I'm not alone anymore. Oh, stop gaping, you know you suspected it, son of Hades." Nico snapped his mouth closed indignantly, his expression hardening. "Anyway, I'm afraid that you three are of too much value. Mother will love me even more when I bring her the three most wanted demigods in the history of monsterkind." Despite the fact that, technically in context the last sentence was supposed to sound sweet and excited, Perseus wore a scowl as he said it, as if he were not very happy about his "Mother."

"Yeah, not likely," Nico challenged. He wanted to keep Perseus monologue-ing for as long as possible, but the demon was too intelligent to fall for bait like that. His words were clipped and cautious, not giving away too much, and his body was as wound up as a coil, ready to spring in case he was attacked.

"You see, since I freed my siblings, Mother was bound to come along. She sired all of us, all demons that lurk in the dark. You mortals, of course, call her Lilith." Nico swallowed hard, his heart racing. Dakota and Amalthea had faced off against the mother of all that was unholy? They had been dead as soon as they'd laid eyes on her. "And, as expected, Mother takes over the entire operation as if the whole thing was her idea! Of course, none of my brothers and sisters even know that I exist, much less the fact that I was the one that laid out the framework for freeing them. No, they're too busy worshipping the very ground Mother walks on." Perseus' fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes blazing with anger. Nico tried to back up, and he saw Jason and Will's efforts to do the same, however they found themselves glued to the spot out of fear.

"It would be more fun to kill you, scatter your remains in front of the demigod camps' entrances and watch your friends' reactions," Perseus hissed, his voice akin to how a snake would sound if it could speak, "but Mother gave me strict orders. You're going to have to come with me."

"Not on my watch," Nico's voice was barely a whisper, however he found himself leveling his sword in Perseus' direction. Jason and Will seemed to have found their courage as well, and they both went into their battle stances. At first Perseus looked at them like, " _Seriously?_ " but then it seemed to dawn on him that he'd be facing off against three of history's most powerful demigods. He cracked his knuckles and neck, rolling his shoulders. It took Nico a moment to realize that Perseus was weaponless, but that soon changed as his fangs grew longer and his fingernails turned into wicked sharp talons.

Before any of them could react, Perseus sprang like a wild panther that was hungry for blood. The three of them leapt out of the way, but with inhuman agility Perseus twisted in the air and landed right on top of Will. A sound much akin to a shriek of pure fury ripped its way from Nico's throat as the son of Apollo cried out in pain, Perseus' claws raking across his cheek. The demon would've torn Will open right then and there, but Nico, in a bout of rage, leapt onto his shoulders. For a moment the son of Hades considered how utterly idiotic his move had been, but he didn't dwell on that as Perseus stumbled back, letting out a bellow of anger that would send grizzlies running for their mamma bears.

Nico could feel the corded muscles shifting below Perseus' skin as the demon turned his head at a horrifying angle, his vertebrae crackling, and bit into the son of Hades' hand, which was gripping his shoulder tightly. Nico screamed bloody murder as Perseus' set of teeth met in the middle of his flesh, puncturing through bone as easily as if it had been butter. Blinded by the utter pain, he drove his sword into the demon's back, hearing the delicious sound of fabric tearing as it went through the other side. Perseus let go of Nico's hand, the son of Hades screaming as his fangs slid out of his flesh, and grunted in discomfort, tugging at the blade as if it were an uncomfortable piece of clothing.

Nico took his moment of distraction to yank the Stygian Iron out, soaked in crimson, and stumble away, cradling his injured hand against his chest. Will sprinted over to him as Jason, being the stronger demigod, immediately engaged Perseus in combat, though the demon's strikes were so lightning-fast it was like watching a blur. Nico whimpered and spluttered, trying to form words as a burning pain bombarded him, and he refused to let his boyfriend look at it.

"We…have to…help Jason," he choked, his voice pinched tight. He allowed Will to slip a piece of ambrosia into his mouth, but even though the healing effects weren't supposed to start right away, for some reason Nico didn't feel like he was being mended at all. It was very odd, but after Will used a spare cloth to wrap around his wrist as a tourniquet, he couldn't think of anything else except the battle. Even only after a few minutes, Jason looked exhausted, drenched his sweat as his parries became slower and slower, though Perseus' attacks were still as ferocious and unyielding as the wind that roared in their ears.

"Try to herd him over here," Will told Nico, pulling a can of red spray paint from his backpack, "I'll be fixing up a nice big pentagram for you two. Pass it on." Nico nodded curtly in reply and raised his sword in his dominant left hand, his right one continuing to throb as all circulation was cut off from it, charging towards the heat of the fight. Perseus caught a glimpse of the son of Hades sprinting towards him, taking another swipe at Jason with his claws. Jason boasted a long cut down the side of his face, the shallow nick ghosting past his eye by only a millimeter, and it was bleeding steadily down his face, which was tight with concentration as he blocked and stabbed.

Nico and Jason worked together perfectly, like a well-oiled machine, even though Nico was injured. Nico would go on the defensive while Jason tried to get a few good stabs in, but with every wound they made, one of their previous ones would close up. Perseus knew that he had the upper hand; he could inflict damage that would last and actually affect them, unlike the demigods, who were making as much progress as a general who ordered their armies to stab the ocean. Slowly, but surely, they began to drive Perseus towards the pentagram. Will had finished his handiwork and now a hailstorm of arrows was raining upon the demon, who pulled them out without even a wince and discarded them. Nico's hand still shrieked with pain, beginning to go numb with pins and needles as the tourniquet did its job, but he soldiered on. For his friends. For the mortals. For Dakota and Amalthea. For the demigod world.

That's when Perseus paused, sighing. He held up his hands and the three of them froze, unable to move even the slightest of muscles, not even their eyes. Perseus' foot was a few inches away from the edge of the pentagram. "I'm bored," he said simply, "this wasn't nearly as fun as I thought it would be, mostly because Mother wishes you three to be alive. Nighty-night." He touched Nico's forehead, his fingertip icy cold, and everything went dark.


	10. Legio

**(A/N) You know, I don't care that I'm late on updating.**

 **And guess what?** ** _I don't care that I don't care._**

 **JK HAVE MERCY I AM A TERRIBLE UPDATERERER-ER**

When Will woke up he was in a numbing stupor at first, not really asleep but not fully awake either. The son of Apollo twitched as his lids fluttered, his blue eyes bleary as his vision blurred and then sharpened, though at first he was pretty sure he was dreaming. He was lying on his side, the stones below him cold to the touch, and his breath clouded the air, curling and twisting like a thin ribbon and then dissipating into nothing. His lips were aching and chapped, and his tongue darted out to soothe them, his whole body aching as he pushed himself to his hands and knees. His clothes were filthy, covered in dirt as if he had been dragged across the ground like a deer carcass being dragged by a coyote, and when his memories slowly began seeping back to him, he wondered if that was the case.

The room, or should he say, _cell_ , was about the size of a large walk-in closet. It was made entirely out of stone bricks, riddles with cracks, and moss clung to it here and there, though it had long since withered and browned. A small window was set high against one wall, open except for two bars as thick as Will's fist. It let all of the cold air in and cast a small square of bright yellow light onto the floor, signaling that it was morning, though the morning of which day was the real question. As Will recalled the battle with Perseus, a bout of anxiety crashed over him, and for a moment he thought he'd start hyperventilating; Perseus had said that there were more demons out there, whom he had freed, and that included this very unappealing "Mother" character who the demon had hinted ate the most humans. Will had to admit that he was truly puzzled; Perseus ate humans as well, and he certainly would be more than content with devouring a helpless demigod. So if that was the case, why weren't bits and pieces of him floating around in Perseus' stomach acid?

"Why am I not dead?" he asked no one in particular, after making sure that the only one in the room was him, though despite this he wasn't surprised when he got an answer.

"Because you're no use to us dead." Will whirled around, facing a corner that he was positive had not been occupied before. Perseus flicked away something that he had been picking his teeth with (Was that a sharpened human finger bone?) and rose to his feet, still as imposing as he had been before. Will was slightly taller, but when it came to a test of strength and power Perseus would easily best the son of Apollo. In fact, the demon was more than capable of flooring Will and snapping his neck with a flick of his wrist, as easily as if he were breaking a toy, and that scared him a bit.

Perseus made no attempt to slide from the shadows, eying the patch of sunlight wearily, and when he saw will staring he chuckled, "I burn easily. And no, I'm not a vampire and you cannot kill me by pushing me into the sunlight and holding me there. I see it in your face so don't even try, not that you could succeed, of course." Will pursed his lips, shocked that the demon had said exactly what was on his mind. "No, I cannot read minds I can just read body language very well. It's a skill you develop over thousands of years."

"Touché," the son of Apollo replied simply, and Perseus made a rumbling sound deep in his chest that clearly stated if dragons could chuckle, that is what it would be like. In fact, it actually sounded as if Perseus was genuinely humored, and Will hoped he could keep it up in order to not be devoured.

"You humans, and demigods, for that matter, amuse me to no end," Perseus stated, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, "Your mortal lives are so precious, so short, and yet you still manage to scuttle along like tiny ants in a colony, each doing the work that is needed for the world to run," he regarded the blond-haired boy for a moment, his head tilting slightly to the side, "Yet you still manage to be entirely oblivious of a whole world. Demigods, of course, are the few that have grazed the surface of what they are facing, but that is like calling a puddle of rainwater an ocean. There is so much you have not yet discovered…." His voice trailed off in such an eerie way that Will flinched, and Perseus grinned coldly, revealing two sets of razor-sharp teeth.

"So, um, Mr. Perseus-" the demon almost immediately cut the son of Apollo off.

"Please, refer to me by my mortal surname that Mother assigned me. Jackson, if you may."

"Mr. Jackson, you don't happen to know where my, err, friends are?" he questioned hesitantly, not wanting to anger the very savage an unpredictable creature, each word in his voice weighted and measured to a T.

"You mean the blonder blond and the one that's gay for you?" Perseus asked, completely serious. His words were genuine, and there was of sign of sarcasm anywhere on his face. Will spluttered for a moment, taken aback, feeling the blush as low as his chest.

"I'm not-"

" _Don't lie_ ," Perseus' tone was so vicious that Will nearly stumbled back, "I _hate_ liars."

"Ok, no lying, got it," the son of Apollo fought to keep the waver out of his voice, but to no prevail. "But I would also like to know whether they're safe." Perseus' eyebrows quirked a bit, which Will didn't think was very consoling in the least.

"I suppose," the demon said, his voice trailing off eerily. "What do you think?"

"I think you should take these snide remarks and shove it up your-" Perseus mimed zipping his lips and all of a sudden Will's voice wouldn't work, as if he were a mute. He panicked for a tense moment that seemed to last for eternity, opening his mouth put having nothing but a puff of air escape his lips, and the demon looked around, bored, as if he'd seen this reaction a thousand times and was just waiting for the bout of anxiety to pass. Eventually, the son of Apollo managed to reign in his frantic breathing before he started to hyperventilate, though his heart was still beating hysterically.

"Now, let me tell you what's going to go on around here," Will stiffened, gulping, as Perseus said this, though the demon didn't acknowledge him, "Mother assigned you to me, obviously because she wants the more powerful ones to herself, and I think we should make a pact; I feed you if you feed me." At Will's utterly bemused expression, the demon rolled his eyes and sighed, his shoulders heaving with such exaggeration that he may as well be the star of a melodrama. He waved his hand as if waving away a question and all of a sudden Will could speak again, wondering why Perseus even bothered to zip his lips if he wanted to uphold conversation.

"What do you mean by 'feed you'?" Will asked incredulously. "I am certainly not killing innocent people in order to feed the likes of you-"

Perseus cut him off sternly, "Who said anything about killing people? It's getting boring; now just becoming a hassling necessity." His words sounded genuine, but Will had read enough lore to know that demons lied.

"Are you going to eat _me?_ " Will cried, backing up a little, though he wouldn't be surprised if the demon said yes and then pounced.

Surprisingly, though, Perseus made a face, "Eat a demigod? Gross! Only the oldies have developed a taste for demigod. Sure, your blood is the best thing since sliced human, but your flesh is disgusting." For some reason Will found himself offended that his meat was considered revolting to Perseus, though almost immediately after he felt really embarrassed that he'd felt that way. Astonishingly oblivious to Will's behavior, Perseus continued, "The godly blood is delectable, but it makes your skin tougher and more resistant to teeth and claws as a natural adaptation, and every demon with taste buds knows not to eat a demigod. Terrible indigestion afterwards. Awful. Just awful."

Will felt weird discussing how demigod and human flesh tastes with something that is the embodiment of all that is unholy, though he didn't voice his thoughts out loud, less he anger Perseus and have him drain his blood vampire-style. Then it dawned on him, "You want me to give you my blood and in return you feed me?"

"Seems like a fair deal," the demon said, shrugging. "A mutualistic relationship, if you will. Benefits both of us."

"But I'll be losing blood every day. That's bad for blood pressure," Will stated in a rather doctoral fashion, Apollo's genes kicking in.

"What's a blood pressure?" Perseus questioned, and he was serious, though as a demon, Will noted, he didn't really have to worry about that kind of thing.

"Why are you even doing this anyway?" Perseus shrugged, and Will was beginning to become quite irritated by his behavior. When the demon saw the blond-haired boy's expression, he almost immediately became defensive.

"What? I don't ask questions around here. 'Mother knows best.'" the green-eyed humanoid seemed agitated just by the mention of his mother. "I just carry out the orders and do as she says like a 'good little boy' and whatnot. She scares the crap out of me."

"I've noticed," Will replied, wringing his hands behind his back, terrified out of his mind. He was going to have a mutual relationship with a demon? He was going to let a demon ingest his blood and allow it to survive just to save his own skin? Would Perseus drain him vampire-style or would it have a satanic-like ritual to it?

The last one was an honest-to-goodness question, though it would never be answered as the demon waved, uttering a very abrupt, "Toodles," and shadow-travelling out of the cell, leaving him alone with just his thoughts.


	11. Congregatio

**(A/N) I had a lot of schoolwork and I had to update my other story so pLEASE DON'T BE MAD.**

 _Also, thank you so much NoTearsFalling for your review, but I don't think that making this rated M would encourage viewers, nor would it be fitting for this story, since there is not much cussing or any sign of sexual-ness. I know the gore is pretty bad, but I put it in as horror for a reason. I'm still grateful for your review, and I just wanted to answer your questions._

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot**

Nico woke up in a state of panic, as if he had been yanked out of unconsciousness by a fishing hook. This was due to the fact that he mistook the black blindfold around his eyes for blindness, and while he blinked his eyes rapidly as anxiety consumed him, he soon felt the relieving sensation of fabric shifting over skin. That, however, didn't solve his problem of imprisonment. He thrashed and writhed where he sat, which was in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair that caused all of his muscles to seize up, and found that the bonds were very strong and held fast. His wrists and ankles were tied down to the arms and legs of the chair, its coils thicker than a grown man's fist as they snaked around, tied tight enough to keep in place but loose enough as to not cut off Nico's circulation. The air was chilling, and with his aviator's jacket gone, his orange T-shirt didn't provide much warmth. He noticed that his Stygian Iron sword was missing, though he wasn't surprised; any good bad guy knows to disarm their captives before binding them.

After much hesitation, Nico called out into the darkness, "Will? Jason?" His voice was so hoarse that it came out as barely a whisper, though it split through the silence like a gunshot.

"Yeah?" A wave of relief washed over Nico as he heard the equally ragged reply from Jason, however when he waited for a few moments longer he didn't hear Will reply. Was the son of Apollo still unconscious? Nico didn't think so, and his mind drifted to the much worse possibilities. "Calm down, we'll figure this out," Jason assured him, and Nico only then realized how heavily he'd been breathing. He wasn't sure how they were to solve this problem, for had he been able to shadow travel he would've done it by now, and something told him that they were deep underground, so Jason's lightning powers wouldn't be of much use either. That's when the squeal of incredibly rusted hinges startled both of the demigods into a stunned silence.

"I was thinking that I take blood from that one," said a rather unfamiliar female voice, which sounded young yet held so much maturity, much like that of a god or a legendary monster like medusa, and Nico had heard that tone often enough before, the tone of an immortal who had seen so much in an expanse of time that would make a mortal's eyes pop out of their heads. Nico wanted to know what happened to Will, but, with the obvious presence of a supposedly unfriendly group in the room, he decided that that was the very least of his worries. He sensed the death pulsing off of them in tidal waves of pure energy, much like when he'd been around Perseus, only this was amplified to such a severe magnitude he feared that he would pass out. The new arrivals in the room were undoubtedly demons, but Nico didn't think that the overwhelming feeling of carnage was a result of the amount of them, which he guesstimated was three due to the pairs of footsteps; he suspected that it was coming off just one individual, and that the rest's auras were simply overpowered by this one's.

"Are you sure, ma'am? The blond one is of more powerful descent-" a masculine voice asked, his tone rather uncertain, but he was cut off by the woman who had previously spoken.

"Did I ask for your opinion…err…?"

"Jedidiah, Mother," the demon, Jedidiah, seemed quite hurt that this Mother person had failed to remember his name.

"Now why did I name you Jedidiah? I must've been drunk, but anyhow I want blood from that one, since I didn't ask which one's blood _you'd_ prefer. I'll have the blond's for lunch and compare," Mother replied, and it took a few seconds for Nico to realize that it was _his_ blood that she wanted, though "the blond" could be either Jason or Will, however judging by Jedidiah's comment about more powerful descent, Nico could only assume that he meant Jason. That and the fact that Will's absence must mean that he wasn't on the menu. Nico wasn't sure whether that was a good thing, meaning they weren't going to drink from him at all, or a bad thing, meaning that they'd already eaten him and therefore couldn't eat him a second time. His panic for Will's safety had to be pushed to the back of his mind, for that was when a rough, callused hand seized his arm in a death grip. He let out a cry of alarm and began to writhe, however that's when he felt the demon's fingernails morph into claws, digging into his skin.

"Sit still and shut up," the rough voice of Jedidiah snarled savagely, no longer sounding the slightest bit human. He dug his talons in deeper, and Nico bit back a scream; though he had endured much worse at the hands of Tartarus, the withheld power coursing through the demon's fingertips signaled that he could rip the son of Hades' arm off with a single flick of his wrist. It was quite terrifying, and the fear in itself was enough to make Nico want to wail, though he supposed that was just the demons' auras talking.

What Nico didn't expect was the cold blade of a knife pressing down on his forearm, and he finally allowed himself to shriek in pain as a deep gauge was made into the skin, almost down to bone, and he felt blood beginning to pour out like a waterfall. He could sense the tension in the air as all of the demons no doubt watched it drip onto the floor, but then he heard the telltale clicking of heels on stone as the demon, who Nico could only assume was Mother, approached. She dipped her finger in the pool of blood that was forming on top of the demigod's arm, causing him to yell, and the sound of her lips smacking together made a shiver travel down his spine.

"Nico?" Jason cried out from somewhere to his left. "Nico what's- _mfffff_!" Jason's cries were muffled by fabric, and Nico began to feel a bit lightheaded. He was losing so much blood, and now he was pretty sure that Mother was holding a bowl under it, judging from the metallic sound that his flowing blood now made, which was much akin to the sound of a trickle from a bathtub faucet hitting the bottom of the basin.

"He's getting pale…well, paler. Stop the blood flow," Mother ordered suddenly, and all at once Jedidiah and an unnamed other was on him, their fingers tracing over the gash. At first Nico writhed and screamed in pain, however when he realized that he felt his skin closing he ceased his struggles, going limp in his chair as the dizziness overcame him, pulling him into oblivion.

-Ω-

Perseus handed Will the knife, a thin slice of iron that was sharper than the average cutting tool, and the son of Apollo's heart rate sped up considerably. He knew he was doing this out of his own free Will, but that really wasn't the case; Perseus would stop feeding him if he didn't feed him in return. Perseus had, luckily, brought a bowl with him to catch the blood.

"Luckily Mother does it this way as well, but some of the oldies like to drink it straight from the wound. Sure, blood tastes nicer when it's that warm, but if you drink it like that it's kind of difficult to restrain yourself," Perseus told him, causing Will to shift from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Also it would be kind of awkward, since for the record unlike in the Anne Rice books getting your blood sucked out isn't in the least pleasurable."

Will laughed uneasily and asked, "Do you like blood from a certain, I don't know, place?" At this, Perseus threw back his head and laughed heartily, the cool mirth echoing throughout the cell.

"If you took blood from my favorite place you'd bleed out within minutes," he replied, still chuckling a bit in between words.

"Where-?"

"Your jugular."

"Okay, I'll just cut…my forearm?" Will asked hesitantly, wondering whether Perseus preferred bicep blood to tricep blood.

"That's fine," Perseus replied, and his stomach took that moment to let out a guttural roar, completely unlike a human stomach's. This didn't console Will in the slightest, and he began to wonder whether he should've taken the starving route, since Perseus was making this seem like he'd have to donate more blood than the son of Apollo really was willing to. Will extended his left arm, which was trembling, so that it was parallel to the floor. Perseus looked on with a hawk-like gaze, his pupils slitting like a viper's and, unnervingly, staying like that for longer than usual before they returned to normal.

Slowly, Will raised the knife and made a long cut from an inch below his wrist to an inch above his elbow, and though the incision was fairly deep, it wasn't enough to kill him. He winced, his face tight with pain, and allowed the knife to clatter to the floor, its surface caked in his blood. As thick, sticky crimson began to pool and overflow over the sides of his arm, Perseus held up the bowl and caught the droplets when they fell, a small puddle of blood beginning to form at the bottom. It didn't hurt, really, but the thing that made Will's heart pound was the fact that Perseus had frozen, like a big cat freezing when its prey looked in its direction, his eyes trained on the trickles of blood in a rather animalistic fashion. The demon's whole body was tense, like a viper poised to strike, and at any moment Will expected the black-haired monster to lunge at his arm and drain him until there was nothing left. With that fear lingering in the recesses of his mind, he kept his eyes trained on Perseus, as if he were one of those Weeping Angels from Doctor Who that would attack if he looked away, though this time instead of letting him live to death the consequence _was_ death.

The bowl was almost full, and Perseus hadn't made any move to suck Will dry, however Will could never be sure as he kept one eye on the demon and the other on the bowl, which was almost full. Just watching his blood mass into such concentrations made him a bit faint, though he wasn't sure whether that was just the sheer amount of blood. I was beginning to harden and dry on his arm, proving quite a discomfort, but he didn't dare move it as he caught Perseus' tongue darting out to soothe his lips, which were nowhere near chapped.

"Will this sustain you?" Will asked, his voice pinched. "And if so, for how long?"

"This will last a day or so, maybe two, I mean it's practically a pasta bowl," Perseus replied, though he was clearly distracted, hell bent on watching every single drop that fell into the ever-growing, and rather large, pool that awaited below.

"A… pasta…bowl? I-I-think…that's enough," Will rasped dizzily, his knees threatening to buckle as they trembled violently. Perseus seemed to snap out of his trance and quickly set the bowl down, the mass of Will's blood sloshing around sickeningly, though Perseus was careful enough to make sure that not a single drop escaped.

"Here, let me see it," the demon ordered, and Will didn't even have the energy to resist, extending his arm to the fiendish beast. For a muted moment he considered the fact that Perseus was trying to sink his fangs into his flesh and then go all Dracula on him, but it faded into the slow-moving, blurred flow that were his thoughts. Instead of biting him, despite the fact that blood caked the son of Apollo's arm, Perseus actually smoothed his thumbs over the two edges of the wound, trailing forwards until they met at the center, and by then it was completely healed. Had all the blood not been there, one wouldn't've been able to tell that there was a wound in the first place.

"Thanks," Will said, his voice a little too airy and out-of-breath. Perseus caught the son of Apollo when his knees gave way, but then he stood their awkwardly for a bit and then dropped him. Hard. Proceeding then to shadow-travel away


	12. Et Secta

**(A/N) I am very frustrated because I have two fanfictions going but I want to write another since I have this great idea however I can barely juggle two stories, much less three.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING but the plot.**

 _The corpse was floating in a huge expanse of blackness, which stretched for an infinite distance on all sides. However the supposedly dead body, began to shift restlessly, its eyelids fluttering and finally flying open, unveiling a set of sea green eyes that were as vibrant as lanterns. His head snapped from side to side as he was enveloped in a state of overwhelming panic, but when the realization, whatever it may be, settled onto his shoulders, he relaxed. He ran a hand through his hair, gazing around curiously as he floated around like a wandering balloon, with no aim or direction whatsoever. The bliss and calm that had settled over the corpse-like teenager was immediately ripped away when a voice tore through the silence._

 _"_ _Perseus?" The voice sang the boy's name like a song, and a very eerie one at that. It's owner sounded fairly young, like a young child's but, the boy, Perseus', blood ran cold when he heard it. It echoed through the expanse of darkness, sending chills racing up and down his spine, and that's when Perseus' feet managed to fall on something solid. It felt like a hard floor, but when he glanced below there was nothing but an expanse of blackness. It wasn't that this void was dark, it was well-lit, but it was like a room that was painted jet black with light shining into it. Only seconds after his feet touched the "ground" he broke off into a terrified sprint, his eyes wild with a fear that most likely no one alive had ever seen. He didn't have to breathe and he was probably running at speeds that no mortal's eye could register, but that didn't stop him from hearing his name again._

 _"_ _Perseus?" He ran from that voice, ran from it's owner in a state of horror, but that's when Perseus came scrambling to a halt, his hands trembling as he clenched them into fists, regarding the figure in front of him. The child looked almost identical to the black-haired teenager, as if he was staring at a photo of himself from years past, but Perseus had turned as white as a sheet, his skin growing impossibly paler as he regarded the young boy. He looked to be about five, his mussed black hair sticking up in all directions as he gazed in wonder at his older look-alike. Though Perseus acted as if the boy was a ticking time bomb, the child simply smiled, which revealed his two missing front teeth._

 _Perseus finally managed to choke a few words out, "Y-you're dead. Y-you can't be here." The young child didn't seem fazed in the slightest, though his smile did sadden quite considerably._

 _"_ _That doesn't mean that I'm not in your head," he replied, wringing his hands behind his back and shuffling his feet in the most endearing way. Despite this, though, the boy's pupils slit like a viper's and then returned to normal within their green irises, and with that action one would realize that the child was just as off as Perseus. He, too, was pale enough to be a corpse, and veins snaked along his bare arms, creeping under his T-shirt and reappearing on his neck and face. There was also this aura to him that, unsurprisingly, didn't affect Perseus but would send mortals and demigods into a fit of shivers, not to mention the fact that he had a rather ethereal intelligence that most five-year-olds didn't have._

 _"_ _I-I-I have to wake up," Perseus cried, attempting to run in the other direction, but no matter what the child was always in front of him. No closer, no farther, with the same few feet between them as before._

 _"_ _You still remember me?" the boy asked worriedly, his brows knitting as he frowned. "Please don't tell me you've forgotten." Those few words caused Perseus' knees to buckle, and he was only barely able to throw his hands out in front of him as he collapsed, sweat beading and dribbling off of his forehead despite the fact that he normally wasn't able to perspire._

 _"_ _I could…never forget you," he managed, his hair falling over his eyes to cover the fact that they were glassy. "Why didn't you come to me when I freed you? Why didn't you come back? Are you still in Hell? I feel your presence, but I can't seem to ever find you…" his voice wavered, but he continued, "I did all of this for you, Alfie,_ all of it! _After that huntress sent you back to Hell I was so alone. So very, very alone…" The black-haired teenager's whole body was racked with constant tremors as he forced his tears back, his head bowed as he stumbled over each and every one of his words._

 _"_ _I have come to issue a warning. Word is going around that you were the one to free all of the demons, not Mother, and she fears that she will lose her influence if they fully uncover the truth. She plans to execute you," the younger boy, Alfie, told him. Though his eyes still held compassion, his expression turned stony, which looked very unnerving on a five-year-old's face. "They will kill you, and ever since you wrote that section in the demonic bible they've held a bit of a grudge, since they found that red-feathered harpie reading it…"_

 _"_ _Yes, yes, I know, but when?" Perseus asked, trembling from the fear. The mere thought of being hunted down like a reynard on a fox hunt, with his brothers and sisters being the hounds and his mother being the human that rides her horse to victory, terrified him to no end._

 _"_ _I fear that I don't know, I'm not a prophet, Perce," the slight use of his old nickname sent pangs of loneliness through his heart; sure, he was surrounded by his family, but they weren't truly family. All that he had now was Mrs. O'Leary, and she couldn't even uphold a conversation with him. His everything had been his twin, and ever since they'd been separated he'd wandered alone. When he finally looked up, he saw that the child was right beside him, his expression forgiving and his eyes warm._

 _He placed a little hand on Perseus' shoulder in a comforting gesture, his grip surprisingly strong despite his outward appearance, and said softly, "I will find you, brother. Twins do share a more profound bond, but I think I have some catching up to do." Perseus and Alfie shared a dry laugh, one full of regrets and bittersweet memories. Then the younger boy began to fade, and Perseus reached out, a pain-filled cry clawing its way from his throat as he scrambled to grasp at the garments of the quickly dissipating image of his twin, but the fabric slipped through his fingers as though it didn't exist in the first place._

 _"_ _Don't go!" he screamed, his voice cracking as the tears finally spilled. He collapsed onto his side, his whole body racked with violent sobs that echoed into the emptiness, though only after a few moments of weeping he quieted. Through the sniffling and the unshed tears he whispered, "I love you, Alfie. Come back to me."_

-Ω-

Nico woke up with a start, gasping as if trying to suck the Earth's supply of oxygen through his lungs. His thoughts were addled to quite an extent, and his vision blurred as he fumbled around the floor for something, anything that would remind him that he's still alive. His four hands each had six fingers on them, and he blinked rapidly as a nauseating wave of vertigo crashed over him like a tidal wave. Had he not been on his hands and knees, he would've collapsed then and there, but he kept going, the dizziness threatening to consume him. He felt around like a mole feeling around a tunnel, screwing his eyes shut tight since at the moment they were of no use to him, though the darkness was quite unnerving and made him feel as if he were groping around the edge of a bottomless chasm.

That's when Nico's fumbling fingers found someone's wrist, and he quickly smoothed his hand up to the unidentified person's forearm. He traced over the telltale SPQR, and that's what he'd been expecting, but at heart he was a bit disappointed. Don't get him wrong, he was beyond relieved that Jason was safe, however he'd been hoping that Will had been there as well. After he felt around the rest of the cell and concluded that there wasn't another being within it, he almost curled up into a ball and wept. He missed Will so much that his chest hurt with every breath that he took, and though the memories of the last time he was conscious began to flood back into his mind, he couldn't help but worry of his boyfriend's safety. What if they were torturing him? What if he was already dead? What if they were starving him to death in a cold, dark room? Nico wouldn't dwell on the possibilities for much longer, for that's when the cell door swung open with the squeal of rusted hinges.

His eyes snapped open, his gaze focusing and sharpening as he regarded the set of legs in front of him. These legs were definitely male, and when he craned his neck to see who owned the face, a familiar voice sneered, "How was your nap, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Perseus," Nico hissed, recoiling as if someone had just told him something rancid. "What do you want?"

"To tell you that I didn't suck your boyfriend like sucking the juice out of a fruit. I have to admit that I was tempted. Boy, was I so tempted, but I didn't, and I think you owe me a thank you." Nico could barely register what was happening, not to mention that Perseus' words were coming out in an uncharacteristic rush. His hair was ruffled and his clothes were wrinkled, as if he'd just gotten out of bed, and his eyes held a sort of haunted look that made Nico wonder whether he'd seen a ghost or not. He almost felt bad form him, had he not been a demon that had captured and isolated his boyfriend.

"Is he well? What did you do to him?!" Nico cried, resisting to urge to lash out. He knew that he was at an incredible disadvantage, especially in this state, and if he all-out attacked Perseus, the demon would have no choice but to retaliate, and for now the demon merely seemed as if he'd like to talk.

"He's fine. I stopped harvesting his blood when he said he was getting dizzy, and I presume that Mother didn't treat you very kindly," the demon gestured the thin scar that went down Nico's forearm. The son of Hades grit his teeth together and nodded grimly, sighing in defeat. "Wow, you must be quite the demigod if Mother even shadow-travel proofed the place. I'm impressed, considering she's almost as old as Chaos himself."

"Why are you even here? I know it's not because you all of a sudden have some sort of burning compassion for your walking, talking portable blood machine," Nico scoffed. "Who just so happens to be my boyfriend?" The son of Hades pushed himself into a sitting position, his shoulders hunched and his eyes narrowed, and he regarded the black-haired monster with a look not unlike the demon was something the cat brought in. Perseus returned that glare with one of equal measure, though he still seemed bit jittery, which made Nico wonder what exactly had set him on edge like that. Mother, perhaps? She was pretty freaky, though Perseus would've been used to her threats and her very chilling demeanor by now. Nico wondered what exactly could spook a demon in such a way.

"So, what are you really here for?" the son of Hades asked.

 _I need you to help me get out of here_ , Perseus replied, his voice echoing inside of Nico's head. At first, Nico was a bit startled, but that eased slightly when he recalled how incredible a demon's hearing was, and that just about any one of them could eavesdrop in on their conversation. _Please don't reply, just let me explain._ He gave Nico a look that clearly resembled fear, though the son of Hades wasn't sure whether he was bluffing or not. Perseus, however, looked one hundred percent serious this time, for the first time since Nico had confronted him. Whatever this matter was about, it was something big, and the black-haired demigod wondered whether Perseus' life was at stake; demons could kill other demons, and therefore his Mother and siblings could easily dispose of him if they all ganged up.

Nico nodded, signaling for Perseus to continue, however he cast a wary glance back at Jason's unconscious form. What would the son of Jupiter think when he saw Nico and a demon staring at each other without saying anything? It would be a bit on the creepy side, and he wondered whether Perseus would include Jason once he woke up. _I had this dream, okay? My br…someone came to me saying that my family was going to murder me; Mother thinks I'm becoming too influential amongst my brothers and sisters._ Nico raised an eyebrow, though he had to admit that he wasn't surprised in the least; demons were animals, and they wouldn't hesitate to cut down their own if it meant that they stayed in power. _I decided that if you help me get off of the radar then I'll help the three of you escape. It'll be difficult; my siblings are spread worldwide now, and they are such good trackers that it puts the Hunters of Artemis to shame. How do you think I was able to capture the goddess in the first place? The pentagram was a bitch to remove, though; it requires a whole lot of spell work and an unforgivable mount of energy._

Nico wondered just how he'd be able to hide Perseus from the universe's most dangerous predators, but then he read in between the lines and realized what Perseus was asking: _I need sanctuary. Please take me into your camps._ He shook his head vigorously, wondering when he'd be able to speak and explain. Perseus chewed on his lip, his fangs making deep gauges within them and causing them to bleed a bit. _I knew that'd be your answer. You're smart, but I need your help. I swear on the River Styx that I'll set you three free, unscathed. Seriously, as long as you give me a place to hide in one of your camps, both of which are the most dangerous places on Earth for demons, I'll live off of animal blood. I won't take any human or demigod blood that isn't given to me by reliable sources, but if you demigods would be willing to donate that'd be great…_ There was a pause as Nico contemplated over possible scenarios and weighed his options. Without Perseus, there was a zero percent chance that he, Jason, and Will would escape from wherever the hell this is, but if he took his help he'd be leading all demigods into immediate danger. He knows that a Styx promise is unbreakable, even if Perseus says it through telepathy (he swore he'd heard thunder rumble from somewhere), but demons were made to devour _human_ flesh and blood, not animal. It was like the backup plan, like how carnivores will eat plants in desperate times, and that was simply for desperate times; they couldn't survive off of it forever. Nico was pretty sure that if Perseus began to live off animal blood he'd go rabid, and in turn he'd take blood without permission…putting his Styx promise into effect.

 _You're hesitant._ Nico nodded and the demon pursed his lips, beginning to pace around like a caged tiger. _Can you keep me at the edge of the camp? Then if I send you a distress signal you can let me inside?_ Nico shook his head, wringing his hands in his lap.

"If I give you permission, Chiron will be able to trace that back to me. They won't care how much I've done for them; they'll label me as a traitor and I'll lose everything," he whispered harshly, the mere thought of that scenario sending shivers up and down his spine. His friends rejecting him, the camp driving him out of its safe borders, and worst of all the look of betrayal that will be plastered all over his boyfriend's face. Very few demigods studied a situation from all angles; if something was bad, they killed it. They didn't stop to think whether that "monster" was merely passing by harmlessly, and they slapped a label on it just by species. No, Nico couldn't risk everything he had for a demon.

 _What about that Roman camp?_ Perseus asked. _They don't have magical boundaries, and their camp is much bigger. I could possibly live off of unsuspecting fauns…_ The look that the son of Hades was giving him silenced the demon, and he quickly became interested in the ground.

"No fauns are going to die. You can live off of rabbits and birds and other wildlife and that's _it._ I'll tell you the location and you're going to lay low in the camp. No killing humans. No killing demigods. Got it Captain Corpse?" Perseus growled menacingly at his new nickname, but nodded, swearing by the River Styx once more as Nico did the same. That time thunder definitely rumbled overhead, and the demon smiled in a way that one wouldn't want someone smiling after they made a life-altering deal. "The location is by San Fran Cisco. The Caldecott Tunnel. Be careful, there'll be extra guards on duty after Lilith attacked."

 _Don't worry; I'm the_ king _of sneakiness. I'd keep you conscious, but then you might tell all of your demigod friends about home base, and even though my family is planning to murder me I wouldn't betray them for the world._ And with that Perseus placed two fingers on Nico's forehead, just like he'd done after their battle, and he slipped off into a very uneasy unconsciousness.


	13. Diabolica

**(A/N) Sorry, guys about not updating I was preoccupied with schoolwork and my other fanfiction that I'm currently working on. Sorry about the shortness of this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Never owned anything but the plot here**

Reyna knew something was wrong the moment she stepped foot back into Camp Jupiter, after being away for a few days at Camp Half-Blood consulting about tactics against demons. Jason, Nico, and Will had returned to the camp, defeated, and told them that the demon simply was impossible to kill. They'd tried everything after trapping it, from bullets to Celestial Bronze to Imperial Gold to even Stygian Iron, attempting to kill it from all different angles and in all different ways, but somehow the creature had managed to evade their grasp and escape. They knew it would be more careful about its kills this time around, however the three campers had relayed some very unsettling information that the demon had relayed; it wasn't alone. It'd freed its brothers and sisters after bargaining with the gods, its siblings' freedom for Artemis' freedom, and the gods couldn't say no or risk offsetting the balance of the things that Artemis reigned over.

However when she arrived home, exhausted and worn from the week's work, she didn't arrive at the same Camp Jupiter that she'd left seven days prior. Tension hung thick in the air, and all of the soldiers from all different cohorts trudged along with expressions that were pinched tight with worry. The Lares' purple glows had turned slightly darker with the heightened anxiety, and they all chattered apprehensively to one another. Even the young boy Lare, whom everyone had simply called 'Joseph', and his ghostly dog huddled tightly by the more aged Lares. The worst had to be the fauns, though. They skittered whenever someone approached them, the fur of their goat legs fluffing up and their small tails raised in overwrought alertness. Even Don seemed a little jumpy and worse for wear, probably because the goat-man had gone out and shaved his afro, the thing that he cared about more than he cared about grass or even munchies. His head looked a bit small as it whipped back and forth, his eyes darting around like a caged animal's. When Reyna approached, attempting to ask what the matter was, he bleated in fright and practically galloped out of sight. The other fauns began to bleat and bray in terror at Don's hasty retreat, and they leapt into the air at the slightest unexpected sound.

The civilians didn't seem affected by it, so that must've meant the soldiers were simply sullen because of how the normally outgoing house spirits and goat-men were acting. She made her way over to the _Principa_ , her heart fluttering in her chest as she kept one hand on her gladius and the other clenched tightly at her side. She had to admit that she was more than grateful when Frank burst out of the large building she was heading towards, dashing towards her with Hazel in hot pursuit. They halted in front of her, panting, and she could see that this dilemma was affecting them more than most of the demigods, though Frank was the one that seemed worse for wear. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his hair was a bit longer than his usual crew cut allowed, and even a bit of stubble was roughening his jawline, his brow wrinkled in what seemed to be a semi-permanent anxious expression. By the look of Hazel she was beyond worried about her boyfriend's state, and Reyna couldn't blame her; he looked like crap.

"I'm so glad you're back, Reyna. Things are falling apart around here," the son of Mars sighed, his voice edged with a very sharp uneasiness.

"What's wrong? Why are the fauns and Lares acting so…?" the Praetor shook her head, unable to find a word that could describe their behavior. Frank's frown only deepened, and he motioned for her to follow him back into the _Principa._ "Hazel, will you excuse us?" The daughter of Pluto looked like she was about to protest, but she reluctantly left to take care of her Centurion duties when Frank nodded to her. The walk was silent, and tension crackled like lightning all around them, with everyone they confronted looking more than uncomfortable, though that could've just been the unnatural and rather out-of-season chilliness. Reyna sure hoped that it was the heat. Once the two Praetors had carefully closed the door behind them, the immediately got down to business.

The Twelfth Legion's golden eagle stood proud and strong, its ruby eyes flashing and its wings spread, its beak open in a silent screech as it regarded them from its stand. The jelly bean bowl on the desk was empty, signifying that a certain someone had eaten them all during the time of stress, and was too stressed out to even have it refilled. Frank began to pace, looking at ease as he could get in his purple Praetor's cape and Camp Jupiter T-shirt. His bow and quiver were slung over his shoulder, making the son of Mars look like he was preparing for war, and for all Reyna knew he might be doing just that.

"It's not just the fauns and the Lares that are acting up," he sighed finally after wearing a hole in the floor in his pacing. Reyna stiffened a bit at that, but didn't interrupt as he continued, "The unicorns are beyond terrified and they stampeded whenever someone tries to get close, and we've run out of medical supplies. Hazel is only barely able to keep them at bay because of the precious metals in their horns, but the process is still too dangerous for anyone to attempt." He rubbed his temples, the large shadows under his eyes suddenly seeming a bit darker than they were before. "The lions in the arena are cowering in their cages and won't come out even if there's a tastily inviting demigod standing out in the middle of the Coliseum. Heck, we even had one of the kids on Probatio wear a belt of steaks and they _still_ didn't come out. The horses are going insane, unable to be ridden much less hooked up to a chariot, and Arion, in a fit of terror, zoomed off and we haven't heard of him since. Heck, Hannibal is so worked up that not even Bobby can calm him down, and we haven't played the war games since you left because the eagles flew off."

Reyna chewed on her lower lip; this was worse than she'd previously thought. What could happen that would frighten even the military trained medical eagles and the strong, brutal Hannibal? "Is there anything else?" she dared to ask, and by the look on Frank's face there was more to be told.

"The birds have stopped singing and Terminus is fretting so much that he hasn't told anyone to move rocks or trim grass of cut their hair! And it's so cold around here all of a sudden. I think the gods are trying to tell us something, and Rachel even came to see if it would trigger any of her Oracle-ness, but she has nothing. The gods are silent, and if this is a warning of some sort then we're unprepared as all Hell," the son of Ares replied.

"Maybe you should drop by the baths and unwind. I've got this," Reyna told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. Frank gave him a look that portrayed unfathomable gratefulness and darted off to get clean, for he also smelled quite a bit and probably hadn't bathed in a while. As the door closed behind him she swore she saw a shadow flit across the path, though it must've been her eyes playing tricks on her.

-Ω-

Perseus hated Camp Jupiter almost as much as the demigods hated him for being there. He was responsible for all of the strange occurrences that were going on, however the Romans didn't need to know that. Nico had explained that the valley was mostly devoid of trees, but the son of Hades told him that he'd come across a decent-sized wood if he kept traveling eastward. It's where most of the fauns lived, though they didn't live there any longer ever since the black-haired monster had moved in. Come on, was he really that ugly? He could handle their company if they resumed business as usual, but it was very difficult for demons to integrate themselves into the ecosystem. He knew that they wouldn't tell though; they didn't even know what he was or what he looked like, since they'd fled almost immediately after he'd stepped foot into the camp (The guards had been painfully easy to slip past). Seriously, it's been like a mass exodus of animals and magical creatures from the wood, to the point where it was kinda funny.

It wasn't funny anymore, since now the demon had to live off of animals. It was torture, and Perseus wondered if leaving to go hunt humans in the outside world was worth getting slaughtered by his family. In the end safety had won overall, but he was still contemplating leaving. Animals tasted so _foul._ Their blood was too thick and too bitter, and it was like asking for skim milk and in return getting tobacco sauce. The meat was so awful that he could barely choke it down, and as he sat devouring a very unfortunate squirrel, having gone mad from hunger after refusing to eat that terrible disgustingness more than he had to, he swallowed hard and nearly gagged. The meat always had hairs in it, and the course fur was very irksome when he was attempting to rip out its organs with his teeth.

He would've drank some water to wash it down, but _no,_ his body just _had_ to be insistent on being on an all-flesh-and-blood diet. So now he couldn't even wash down the utterly wretched aftertaste that lingered in his mouth. He had the urge to just lick the grass to get rid of the awfulness, but he wasn't that desperate. The best meal was an unsuspecting deer, and he made sure that he only hunted males that hadn't acquired a mate; the extras, if you will. Therefor he wouldn't ruin the ecosystem by killing them all off in a week, which he certainly wanted to do. Even so, that would blow his cover and that would leave a lot of explaining to do on both his and Nico, Jason, and Will's part.

Every month that passed, they required that he send them a fire message and give them status updates, and if he forgot they'd personally come to Camp Jupiter to find him, and he didn't want them blowing his cover. He didn't know when this would end, and it took him a moment to process the fact that he could possibly be here for eternity, because demons were immortal and they never, ever forget. Was survival really worth this half-life he was living? Sooner or later the Romans would find him and send him out into the world like a lamb to slaughter, and he didn't know how long he could persevere; he missed Mrs. O'Leary and was very lonely without her company. He may die of loneliness if his family didn't get to him first.

"Hades help me," he sighed, curling up on his bed of moss, grass, and leaves that he'd created as the sun began to peek over the horizon. He shifted away from the light and farther into the shadows, hoping that this stay would just be temporary. Slowly, he drifted to sleep. Little did he know that a certain god of the underworld had heard his prayer.


	14. Ergo Draco

**(A/N) This story is becoming very popular and I LOVE it. That's for all of your kind reviews and I'm glad I can entertain you guys. Sorry if it's a little short.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO at all.**

Out of the hundreds of demigods that took up residence in Camp Jupiter, Gwen just _had_ to be the one chosen to scout out the forest for any suspicious activity. Technically speaking she had stepped up for the job, one volunteer out of many, but she'd been chosen despite the fact that much more senior and experienced warriors and legionnaires had offered to take on the challenge. She wasn't sure why she was so sour about it; she had, indeed, done this out of her own free will, and it's not like the Praetors just drew a name from a bowl and announced the tribute to be sent to slaughter. But despite this that's what it felt like; the forest was terrifying her, and she felt like a lamb that was wandering around in a lion's den. Normally she wouldn't be scared of something like a silly forest, for she'd seen much worse (Heck, she'd even died once), but this time it was different. The forest seemed more…sinister.

The Praetors had issued this little mission to get to the source of the huge amount of unrest amongst the animals and magical creatures at the camp. The fauns were as paranoid as ever, the Lares were still chattering anxiously, the medical eagles hadn't been seen in days, and now the aurae refused to serve meals. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, due to the fact that without the aurae the legionnaires went hungry, and distributing food by hand without the wind spirits' swiftness took too much time for an entire army. They aurae also refused to leave the dining hall, clustering in the corners and whispering in their odd language, sometimes even weeping. The Praetors were worried, and now here Gwen was, scouting the forest that fauns seemed to fear above all else, even though a few months ago it'd been their happy home.

As Gwen made her way through the trees, she couldn't help but shiver a little at the eeriness of everything. No birds were singing in the trees. No mice or other vermin scurried about in the underbrush. Everything was dead silent, as if the forest was holding its breath. Dead, brittle leaves that were now partially decomposed crunched underfoot, and there was absolutely no foliage to limit Gwen's vision. Therefore, there would be no hiding places, either. The demigod had to admit that it was substantially colder here, and even though Gwen repeatedly tried to blame it on the early January weather she knew that this was December temperature; it was frigid, and her warm breath steamed the air, which nipped at her nose and cheeks in response.

 _The birds have migrated,_ she reassured herself, gripping her gladius so tightly that her knuckles turned white. _And the mice and squirrels are hibernating in their little burrows somewhere. Dang, I wished I'd dressed more warmly for this._ Even though this particular wood was so small it could barely even be considered a forest, Gwen felt terribly lost and isolated. She felt exposed and helpless, though she held a six-inch Imperial Gold sword in her hands, and despite the fact that she didn't know what the enemy was she felt extremely out-matched. She wished she had a partner of sorts, but this was intended to be a mere scouting mission that shouldn't take more than a few hours. To Gwen it felt like years had passed since she'd departed.

Had this been any other day, Deathball would be in full swing, with the cries and whoops legionnaires and sound the sizzling of armor echoing through the valley, however due to the medical eagles' absence that couldn't be the case. Gwen had to admit that she missed being in the legion; hanging out with her cohort, leading them into battle, and fighting in the War Games would all be missed, but she knew that she'd made the right decision to go to college. After that shish-kebab incident, she'd never been the same. During the first few weeks, she couldn't help but think that maybe the dead should stay dead, and that while she was able to live, thousands of others were dying around her, people who were better, people with spouses and children. Several times after the Doors of Death were closed did she contemplate suicide, but then she realized that the blessing would go to waste if she killed herself. She'd be doing the other people a disservice by wasting her life, like a person who'd won a prize and then threw that prize away without even using it.

She was so immersed in thought that she nearly missed a murky shadow flit to her right, the shadow being the hazy outline of what seemed to be a person. Gwen whirled around, gladius leveled in the direction where she'd last seen the silhouette, knowing that there were many humanoid monsters that could be hiding in there. Then again the guards at the front gate would never let such a monster within the boundaries. Perhaps it had spawned within the valley? No, that was impossible; there were wards against that happening. It must've been another demigod.

"Hello?" she called, attempting to use her most commanding voice possible. "Is anyone there?" Silence was her answer, and she began to become quite uneasy; if it were a demigod, why wouldn't they reply? Maybe it'd just been a trick of the eyes, but she wasn't so keep on just letting it go; it could be the difference between life and death. "These woods are off-limits to the general public!" She attempted using intimidation to draw whatever it was out of hiding, but even to herself she sounded quite meek and unnerved. "And as a veteran I command you to relinquish your hiding place!" There was no reply, her voice echoing throughout the silent forest, which only made her grip her gladius even tighter.

She turned and nearly screamed, though that would've been quite embarrassing considering her company. A tall and lanky man stared at her, his black tailored suit gleaming in the light of the dying sun. Small, faint wisps churned in the fabric, forming grotesque faces whose mouths were opened in silent screams. His long black hair fell just below his shoulders, and his coal black eyes were deeply set into their sockets. Along with the milky white skin, he would've looked like a well-dressed zombie, but she knew better than that. The man radiated power, and Gwen was well-acquainted with his son, who was nearly a spitting image of him. This man was Pluto, god of the Underworld and all the riches under the Earth, not to mention Nico di Angelo's father.

Gwen immediately knelt, knowing that that was how to avoid being turned into a rabid mole rat, and the man chuckled humorlessly, "Rise." The demigod did so without question, and she found it hard to escape the man's fearsome gaze, her feet planted on the ground as if they'd rooted there.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Pluto," she squeaked, her voice sounded not at all like the confident one she'd intended it to be. This wrenched another dry laugh from the god, and she felt chills racing up and down her spine.

"No, silly Roman, in this form I'm known as Hades," his form flickered for a moment, his suit being replaced by a black toga and golden laurels crowning his head, but then it returned to normal. "And I come bearing a message. Not from Zeus or any other god, but from me. It's a warning, if you will."

"I'm listening, sir," the demigod replied, her tongue feeling like sandpaper and her throat like a desert. She felt like she was withering under this god's gaze, decomposing to become one with the spirits below. Had Pluto, Hades, come to take her back to the Underworld where she rightfully belonged? She wouldn't hesitate to go with him if that was what he desired, but she didn't think that Hades himself would come to take her back. If that was the case, then what did he come here to say?

"There is another living amidst your ranks," Gwen's blood ran cold, though she didn't dare interrupt. "And he is not of godly, titanly, human, or even monster descent."

"Is…is he a threat?" she choked, her gladius trembling. The god smiled, revealing teeth that surprised her; rather than being withered and yellowed, they were a perfect and pristine white, which only added to his eerie demeanor.

"Oh of course, but you needn't worry. He's trying, but I fear that a being as powerful as he has a breaking point." As if on cue an earsplitting roar ripped through the trees, followed by a noise that sounded suspiciously like a tree being ripped from the ground and thrown at least five yards. Gwen nearly melted into her shoes, though she felt at least mildly safe with the god nearby. Even so, gods weren't really known for their mercy and courteous help, especially Hades, so should she really trust him to protect her? She didn't want to find out the hard way, so she stayed alert and kept her sword at the ready.

Her fears were only heightened when Hades cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Come out and show your face, Perseus! Don't be a coward!" His voice seemed to rumble the very ground under their feat, and she knew that Perseus would have to be a brainless ape if he didn't answer the god's call. Then she recognized the name- Perseus. The demon Perseus. The one who's "mother" had slaughtered Dakota and Amalthea ruthlessly, and he'd been living within the camp. No wonder why there was so much unrest; the demon literally radiated raw power and lethalness. If Gwen were a bird she wouldn't want to stick around, but she felt bad for all of the other animals; they couldn't escape so easily, and they were probably all cowering in their hidey holes to evade being devoured. The deer had it even worse.

Gwen's stomach plummeted and her heart relocated into her throat as a teenaged boy seemingly materialized in front of her, following a whooshing sound that signaled he'd moved to his position and hadn't just appeared. It didn't help that blood coated the lower half of his face and dribbled from his chin, coating his hands up to his wrists. He was growing a steady stubble, his green eyes holding a crazed and…was that pained? look to them. He looked like an animal that was driven mad by starvation, and that comparison was confirmed when his stomach gave a low snarl. He crumbled to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"I'm so…hungry," he moaned.

"Did…did he just kill someone?" Gwen yelped, her voice several octaves higher than normal.

"Relax," the demon spat, his saliva tinged red from his last meal. "It was just a deer. I…" he was racked with a spasm that could only be the result of utter famishment, "swore not to eat," another spasm, "a human or demigod ever again." Despite the fact that this monster was a cold-blooded killing machine, Gwen couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. She nearly jumped when Hades spoke up, having been silent throughout the exchange.

"He's seeking sanctuary from his family," the god explained, and she swore she heard a bit of pity in his voice. "Who'll undoubtedly try to kill him if he ever shows his face in the mortal world again."

"But he can't stay here forever. The Lares and the fauns and the eagles…" Gwen's voice trailed off as she saw the defeated look in the demon's eyes. "How can we feed him? Hasn't he been eating animals?"

"Now that's the problem," Hades remarked as Perseus shuddered. "He eats human flesh and blood, but the flesh part is just a side thing. He can easily live off of just blood."

"That _is_ a…problem," the ex-legionnaire managed, swallowing hard.

"So that is why I'm going to travel back to the heart of your camp with you, soldier, and announce that every week the Romans have to sacrifice a quart of blood to me," Hades replied, his form flickering once more until he stood in his Roman form, his black toga billowing around him. Perseus looked up, his shockingly beautiful green eyes widening to the size of saucers. "They will then have to give the blood to you, Gwen, because you are the only one that knows the location of my secret 'shrine'. You will then proceed to give that blood to Perseus here, because without that blood he'll be driven to the edge and start picking off your children." Pluto grinned as if that was the most pleasant thing he'd ever heard.

"Really?" the demon croaked, sighing with relief as Pluto nodded in reply. "Thank you. I am indebted, so if you ever need anything just ask." Gwen was confused for a moment until she realized that, since Perseus was an all-powerful antichrist, he technically could give Pluto anything. The god waved him off.

"I may ask for you in the future, but not in this millennium," the god answered, for once his voice sounding sincere. He looked around, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!" He turned to Gwen, his coal-colored eyes flashing dangerously. "And if you ever tell anyone about Perseus' location or this confrontation, I will make sure you are damned to Punishment for the rest of eternity. Kapeesh?"

Blanching a bit, the Roman nodded vigorously.


	15. Maledicte

**(A/N) Sorry about the super long update, I had schoolwork and writer's block on my other story, which I had to get updated because I hadn't in weeks.**

 **Disclaimer: None of these characters are my own, just the universe that they're in.**

"His scent grows weak," the little boy whispered to himself as he made his way through the forest, glancing around warily for any signs of danger. Twigs snapped and leaves crackled under his feet as he prowled about, and if said danger wanted to find him it would've done so already, though one could never truly be too careful. "Why is it weak?" The night sky spread above him like a dark navy tarp, spangled with stars that glared down upon him like critical eyes, though most were hidden by the thick foliage of the oaks that stretched high, their branches swaying lazily in the chilled breeze. Normally, one would need a sweater or jacket for such a chill, but not so much as a goosebump had cropped up on the boy's skin, which would've been the first sign of trouble if the humans he just so happened to stumble across had been paying attention.

"Are you lost, little guy?" the woman asked, crouching down as her husband sidled up beside her. Her stomach was swollen, clearly with child, and he could hear the little heartbeat pulsing inside of her and couldn't keep himself from licking his lips. Looking around in slight panic, the boy soon realized that he'd stumbled across a nature trail along the way, too caught up in following one particular scent to notice the heavy stench of human that'd been nearing. He cursed himself internally for not noticing the humans' presence earlier, and even now only one of the two was actually edible; the little boy was not an animal, and he certainly wouldn't give an unborn child no chance to live whatsoever. The slightly beefy husband would have to do.

When he didn't reply, the man grunted, "You got a name?"

"Mummy said not to tell my name to strangers," the little boy told them in his meekest voice, shuffling a little and looking at the ground.

"Where is your mommy?" they asked in unison, though the man's brow knit slightly at the fact that the little boy, even if he knew he was lost, didn't seem quite fazed that he'd been wandering out in the woods alone. He sure did look like a wreck; his black hair was matted and dirtied to the point where it could've been blond if you cleaned it, and his clothes were in tatters, not to mention the fact that there was blood speckled here and there on him. He looked like a wild child, and the man had to admit that it was slightly frightening, on top of the fact that his startling emerald eyes held a bit too much intelligence for an average youth his age.

"I don't know," the little boy replied, shrugging nonchalantly as if it wasn't that big of a deal, and the woman pursed her lips.

"Do you know where she might be?" At her question the child laughed as if it were a hysterical joke, like it wasn't because she'd stumbled across him looking like he'd had a fistfight with mother earth, or possibly a bear. For a moment the mortal swore that she saw the boy's eyes slit like a viper's but immediately singled it out as her mind playing tricks. Such a morphing of the human pupil was impossible, anyway.

"Of course not! Mummy hasn't seen me in a _long_ time," he giggled, a chilling sound that one would hear coming from downstairs during a dark night. That's when the couple began to get worried, and they exchanged a very concerned glance. The boy didn't seem malnourished in the least, bordering on plump, but still lithe and, heck, a bit muscular. His clothes, though matted, fit him quite well and didn't hang off of him, so that meant that he rather was incredible at scavenging or someone had taken him in. They were leaning towards the latter, considering that this child looked no older than five. The only problem was that his skin was sickly pale, almost as white as milk, and blue veins snaked up and down his arms and stood out as clear as day under all of the grime that he was slathered with.

"Who's taking care of you? Who's feeding you?" the man asked, gripping his wife's hand tightly. He didn't like this kid and was wary of the fact that maybe his psychotic killer father was lurking somewhere beyond, hidden away in the trees.

"Well soon you'll be."

They almost took that as a sentiment.

"By the way, my name's Alfie. And I'm looking for my brother."

-Ω-

A thick blanket of excitement, laced with anxiousness, hung thick over Camp Half-Blood. Jason was dragging his feet through the days' activities, sometimes abandoning them altogether to go sulk in Cabin One, and he'd been giving everyone the cold shoulder. Heck, he was uncharacteristically introverted, not even talking to Leo when his friend asked him what the matter was. He stayed silent, though his blue eyes, in a way were haunted and brooding, as if he'd gained the pieces of an unfinished puzzle and now as just trying to put it all together. Even his loving girlfriend, who kept trying to lift his spirits with surprise beach picnics and other things, couldn't seem to get him to open up to her.

Nico and Will were no different than the son of Jupiter, keeping mostly to themselves and talking in hushed conversations that abruptly stopped when someone came near. Though it was no surprise that the son of Hades was acting in such a manner, since his life was practically no different, campers, especially from the Apollo cabin, were beginning to fret over Will. He didn't play his lyre anymore at the campfire and sang along only halfheartedly, if not singing at all, and he sometimes didn't even attend the archery lessons he was supposed to teach, leaving the campers standing around with nothing to do. He stuck around Nico a lot more than usual, even more than when they'd first started dating and he was incredibly clingy, but it seemed that it was only his boyfriend that he would talk to, and vice versa.

It didn't take very long for the demigods to realize that the three demigods who were acting the most uncharacteristic had been the three to go on the hunt for Perseus. Perhaps they were just ashamed that they couldn't get the job done? Had they encountered him but had him slip through their fingers? Were they possessed or cursed by the terrible demon? Rumors were flying this way and that, zigzagging their way through cabins and weaving amongst the dryads and satyrs. They danced through the strawberry fields and whispered through the leaves in the forest, darted from one camper to another and sharing their tale, fighting for dominance over the demigods' standings on the matter. Even the naiads were making hypotheses of their own, and almost immediately afterwards the only talk at the entire camp was "What the Hell is Wrong with the Three Heroes?"

People whispered when one of them walked past, trying to read their stony expressions and their taciturn demeanor, but to no avail. That only made it all the more exciting. Nico, Will, and Jason, of course, knew nothing of this talk, for demigods were extra keen on making sure that they had no idea what was happening, but eventually the rumors pranced their way over to Chiron and Dionysus, tapping them on the shoulder and demanding attention..

"What d'ya think's wrong with them?" the wine god asked, taking a long swig from his Coke can, though his words didn't really hold much concern or interest.

"Something must've happened on that quest of theirs. Something that they aren't willing to tell us," the centaur replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. When he'd first asked the three if they were alright, all had nodded without any hesitation, though Chiron knew from experience that demigods were capable of lying through their teeth without remorse. The only problem was that if Jason, Nico, and Will didn't want to speak, the counselors and the other campers wouldn't be able to make them do so unless they resorted to rather unethical means. "It makes me wonder."

"Well it makes me super annoyed that my satyrs are too busy gossiping to cater to my needs," Dionysus scoffed in reply. "They'll crack eventually."

-Ω-

Perseus looked up, wearing a path within the ground as he paced to and fro, his eyes lighting up when he saw Gwen arriving with a bowl full of a deep crimson liquid. The demon inhaled the fumes and shivered a bit at the scent, his pupils blowing up in hunger and nearly covering his entire iris, only a thin lining of sea green peeking out from behind it. He prowled over, slinking towards her like a big cat stalking towards its prey, and eagerly snatched the bowl from her hands. The Roman didn't even flinch when he lifted it to his lips and drained in in several quick gulps, a small trickle of blood dribbling from his chin. and leaving a trail of red in its wake. Okay, she had to admit that that was slightly disturbing, but now that she was sure that the blood being ingested was given up purely voluntarily she was fine. He wiped the blood off of his chin and grinned. Gwen had gotten used to the monster's presence by now, eventually becoming acquainted with him and, sooner or later, befriending him at least minutely. They weren't lovey-dovey spill-your-secrets kind of friends, but they were certainly comfortable enough not to try and kill each other when they met. Gwen found that the demon wasn't as cold-hearted and ruthless as everyone perceived him to be, for in killing mortals he was only trying to survive. Hating him for killing humans was like hating a cat for eating mice, or a wolf for eating deer, but then again when that was said aloud it made her question whether it was sufficient enough evidence.

You want to know what blood time Perseus likes best? AB negative.

You want to know what animal meat he likes best? Deer, of course.

The Roman was probably the only one who knew these things about Perseus, and she'd be lying if she claimed that she wasn't proud of her feat. When she'd walked back to camp with Pluto, the reactions were priceless, heck they were pure gold, no pun intended. They met the god's demands with such enthusiasm and dedication that it was almost funny, considering all that blood they thought they were sacrificing goes into feeding the antichrist.

"So, anything knew in these woods?" the soldier asked.

"Well I've never been in an area for so long," Perseus replied, shrugging. "The animals are getting used to me." And Gwen was glad; the eagles had returned once more and Hannibal, the unicorns, and the lions were all back to normal, though everyone was absolutely puzzled on why they'd gone awry in the first place. Gwen, of course, was sworn to silence and could only watch as Reyna, Frank, and the others scratched their heads and tried to come up with some sort of explanation. The forest animals followed soon after, and a great migration of birds propelled into the camp and back into their homes one morning, not to mention the fact that the squirrels and chipmunks were finally showing their faces. Argentum and Aurum, the only two animals that seemed unfazed by Perseus' presence, still strut by Reyna's side like roosters in their coop, though they would always pause at the edge of the forest and growl a warning. Luckily the Praetor never thought much of it, blaming it on the animals within.

The fauns and Lares, however, had still not ceased their bout of anxiety, and Gwen supposed it was because of their heightened, more humanlike intelligence. She wished that they would cease their antics so that the camp would finally go back to normal, and because of their remaining tenseness people were still asking questions. Why are they acting in such a manner? What is causing it? Is it some sort of monster? Is something in the valley that shouldn't be? These questions were whispered in Gwen's ears every day, and she hoped that they wouldn't find out about Perseus until the time was right.

That "time", though, came in the form of the appearance of Frank Zhang. His cry of alarm would undoubtedly be heard all the way in New Rome.

 **For all who are beginning to panic, there is no Gwen/Percy. No pairings for him here**

 _For all of the Supernatural, as well as Destiel, fans reading this, check out my new AU story Once Upon a December. It takes place in the Progressive Era. Immigrant!Dean Ward boss!Cas_


	16. Adjuramus Te

**(A/N) sorry about the terribly slow updates I have two other stories and am severely busy.**

 **Disclaimer: IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO-IDON'TOWNPJO**

Something was wrong. Gwen knew it as soon as the birds, once again, swarmed out of Camp Jupiter in a mass exodus of beating wings. No sooner did that happen did Hannibal let out a blood-curdling shriek and threw Bobby off of his back, nearly trampling half of the second cohort as he high-tailed back to the stables, and the medical eagles launched into the sky to join the other birds, who were merely a black, misshapen cloud in the distance. The unicorns whinnied and brayed, slamming against the gates with iron-clad hooves, so close to breaking out that Hazel had to steer them back to the stables by their horns. The Lares shrieked, the fauns wailed, and there was so much mass panic that even the Praetors had trouble containing the masses, attempting to raise their voices over the house spirits' cries, the goat-men's howls, and the mash of alarm and commotion as the whole legion scrambled for safety.

Frank finally managed to shove his way towards Gwen, who was pacing viciously as sweat dribbled down her temple. All they had to do was exchange a look, with Frank nodding to her, and the volunteer legionnaire was sprinting towards the forest as fast as she could go, while the son of Mars turned back to help Reyna control the massive panic. The Lares' screams were causing their ears to ring, and the fauns had already begun scrambling to the opposite side of the valley, their swift legs carrying them away quicker than any camper had ever thought possible. Gwen's blood was singing, her legs pumping as the tree line loomed ahead, the thick boughs standing guard like vigilant soldiers, protecting what lay within.

Her armor was heavy, but she was glad for the protection as she drew her gladius, a sense of dread consuming her as she passed smoothly into the area. She dodged trees and leapt over fallen logs, the route to Perseus' den etched into her memory as if with a pickaxe. Her heart was thundering, her sides heaving, but she pushed on, for she knew that only an occurrence with the demon would bring about such a disaster. Gwen glanced behind her, finding that the trees had already obscured her view of the city, as well as the barracks. Now she was officially alone, but she felt confident that Frank would come find her if she was gone too long. She remembered the day he found out about Perseus' existence like yesterday.

-Ω-

 _Perseus had to pounce on Frank in order to keep the son of Mars from sprinting back to camp, blabbering about how they weren't, indeed, sacrificing blood to Pluto, but rather to a beast that was of the same kind that killed Amalthea and Dakota. He struggled for a while, all flailing fists and vulgar curses, but Perseus' weight, which was far heavier than what a boy his size would normally weigh, kept him pinned to the ground. In order to spare himself from any more humiliation, the Praetor ceased his struggles and went limp, though the betrayed look he cast Gwen was practically withering._

 _"_ _Listen," she told him, holding her hands up to show the she wasn't going to draw her gladius. "It's not what it looks like."_

 _"_ _Yeah, that's what they all say," Frank scoffed, glaring at her. Though the demigod was by far one of the most peaceful that she'd ever met, Gwen knew that he could be violent and powerful when he so pleased; he was one of the Seven, after all._

 _"_ _Listen, kid," Perseus growled, still firmly seated on Frank's back. "If I get off of you and you run, I'll just pin you down again, so don't make this harder on yourself than it has to be." And with that said, he stood up and dusted himself off, for he'd gotten a bit dirty during the scuffle on the ground. One couldn't say the same for Frank, who was practically filthy, with one half of his face covered in grime and the entirety of his front looking no different._

 _"_ _First of all, what is_ that _doing here?" the Roman hissed, his tone icy as he pointed an accusatory finger at Perseus._

 _"_ _Um, RUDE," the green-eyed demon scoffed, crossing his arms and harrumphing. "I'm_ right here _."_

 _"_ _That's what I need to explain, so sit down," Gwen replied evenly, and at first the Praetor seemed reluctant to do so, but once Perseus cast him a heady glare he immediately plopped down onto the ground, mouth still contorted into a scowl._

 _"_ _I trusted you, Gwen, and now you're working with this-"_

 _"_ _Hey now!" Perseus ground out, his tone no longer mocking. His eyes slit like a viper's and Frank cowered a bit, leaning away from the glare that could possibly cut through stone if the demon tried hard enough. "That's a bit much. Just sit down, shut the hell up, and listen." The Praetor didn't have to be told twice._

 _"_ _You be nice, too," Gwen ordered, and the black-haired boy looked away, his eyes returning to normal, and grimaced. "Anyway, it's a long story…" With that said, she told Frank all about Perseus' marvelous misadventures, with the demon cutting in from time to time to correct her or to add something, and she could see the Praetor visibly relaxing when she told him that the demon was simply hiding from his family. Perseus proved his innocence by once again swearing on the River Styx to not kill anyone or anything except wild animals, and to only take blood that was given to him._

 _"_ _I was wondering why Pluto all of a sudden told us to give him blood sacrifices," the Praetor remarked, which earned him a good chuckle from the two of them. Frank's expression went cold, though, and he told them, "If Pluto himself aided Perseus, then he must be a pretty big deal." Gwen smiled at the fact that he was no longer referring to the demon as an 'it', and perhaps Frank would enjoy his company just as much as Gwen did, despite the obvious disturbing parts; such as the fact that he drank human blood._

 _"_ _I still don't know why he granted me that wish," Perseus replied, shrugging. "Sometimes I still think of myself as a monster. The two demigods didn't comment, not wanting to push him, and Frank agreed to aid Gwen and Perseus when needed. Overall, it was a pretty damn good day._

 _-Ω-_

Perseus was in his den. It was a nice, cozy den, and not like the crude ones that moles or rats lived in; it was a den made for bears, making it a nice, cozy bear den. The walls kept in heat exceptionally well, made from dried mud (which'd been a sticky situation building) and branches. He'd padded the ground with moss and leaves, the moss which he regularly watered to keep it from becoming dry and brittle, and Gwen had brought him three blankets and a pillow to keep him from the cold, though he did mention that he was immune to temperature. Despite that, she'd insisted on it, telling him to use one blanket to cover the gaping hole that was the entrance and use the other two to keep himself comfy. It wasn't like he'd created the den out of nothing, for that would be too much work; instead he hollowed out a space under the roots of a huge oak tree, providing him with both a roof and structural support, though being hunched over so much did make him a bit stiff.

In order to make sure that his Roman friend was able to find him every week, he'd made it right in the clearing where they'd met, where Pluto had ordered she bring blood sacrifices to him weekly, and that gave it a sentimental value that he simply couldn't pass up. Perseus liked Gwen, sure; she was his only company, besides Frank who visited less often, but he wouldn't say that he loved her, and not in any lifetimes would he want her to be his mate.

Mates were uncommon amongst demons, who were borderline obsessive loners and only came together to procreate, much like many animals today, and they certainly didn't mate for life. That reasoning, however, was against Perseus' beliefs. You didn't just find a female, get her pregnant, and then leave her to care for the twins all by herself, which he found out many humans did today. Then again, humans weren't always _guaranteed_ two babies after conception. Perseus had wanted to find a nice female, settle down with her, and possible have two children or four. He liked company, unlike his former feelings on the matter, and wished he could share a relationship with a partner that didn't have to be intimate. He gave up on the notion, however, when every female he met became angry when he stayed with them, preferring the old ways to his new. Being with a human was out of the question, but not because they couldn't mate; Perseus would have to watch her wither slowly, growing old and wrinkled as her hair grew to a shock of white, and eventually she died. From there he'd go on, getting his heart broken over and over and over again as death separated he and his lovers, and he'd just keep on living. Forever.

All of a sudden a bird let out a cry of alarm, and Perseus was only barely able to scramble out of his den when every single one launched into the sky. He'd seen this happen before, plenty of times, and wondered what he'd done to scare them off again. He thought he'd integrated quite well into the ecosystem, but apparently not. Then, however, came a sound from the distance, a sound that could only be identified as screaming, and Perseus could tell that, though it mostly came from the Lares that Gwen' had told him lived in the camp, it was also joined by those of the demigods. Panic began to settle in, and he felt his fingernails morphing into talons, an instinctual action that Perseus couldn't rally control in times of severe worry. But that's when he caught the scent, and just like that his world seemed to crumble around him.

He was waiting when Alfie stepped into the clearing. His twin brother watched him through eyes that were identical to his own, and smiled softly. "It's been a long time, brother," he said in a voice that was way too high, and Perseus found that he'd assumed the form of a boy much younger than he, maybe four or five. Sure, demons could change the age they seemed to appear, but it still creeped him out, considering that he was supposed to be looking at a mirror image of himself. Perseus had always viewed himself as the older brother, since he'd been born first, and ever since that declaration he'd made it his job to protect and shelter his brother. Even as the eons passed, he still made sure that Alpheus was safe and sound. Then all that'd changed when that wicked goddess had come along and taken away everything that he'd ever loved.

"I've missed you," the older demon managed to choke, forcing his eyes not to water. He held out his arms and Alfie went willingly into them, clinging to his brother's neck for all it was worth. "Why didn't you contact me as soon as you'd gotten out of Hell?" The other demon sighed into his brother's neck, nuzzling the skin there.

"It's been a difficult few months, Perseus," he replied in a tone that was far too sophisticated for a five year old. "I was too busy attempting to resist Mother and our siblings," a pause, "Is that why you're in this wretched camp? To hide from that bitch?" Perseus barked a laugh and hugged his brother tighter, his claws long since having sheathed themselves, and just reveled in the fact that his brother was _here._ His brother was with him, after centuries of being alone, and the demon couldn't've felt happier.

"They want my head on a plaque," he explained. "I let two humans of theirs escape if they helped me find a place that was out of Mother's reach. I don't think I can step foot out of here again."

"Sure you can," Alfie replied, pulling away and looking up at him with big, round eyes. "We can comb the world together, killing off anyone who gets in our way. With the two of us, and the skills we've harbored, we can fend off anything that Mother throws at us." Perseus is truly considering the idea, but then his face falls.

"I made a Styx promise." At this, Alfie cocked an eyebrow, silently demanding that he elaborate. "To not kill any humans or take blood without permission; I have to live off wild animals and blood that they donate." There was a long stretch of silence where Alfie just stared at him, and Perseus feared that he was upset or angry with him, however in an unexpected turn of events he finds his brother laughing hysterically. The demon wrenched himself out of Perseus' arms, rolling on the ground and clutching his gut as he laughed until there were tears in his eyes. He gave one look at his brother's deer-in-headlights expression and began to guffaw even harder than before. It took a solid five minutes before Alfie wiped the last tear from the corner of his eye, his body still wracked with the occasional chuckle.

"Silly! Demons aren't bound by Styx promises! Didn't you know that thunder is just for effect when someone says the words?"


	17. Cessa Dicipire

**(A/N) Lot of stories going on at once. Sorry bout' the long update and the fact that it's short.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PJO**

 _PLEASE REVIEW_

Rain thrummed on the roof in a dull monotone, like a thousand drums calling their armies to war. Lightning split the sky for a single moment, jagged bolts raging this way and that, and thunder soon bellowed from the heavens. The wind picked up, howling and churning the lake into a frothy frenzy, the waves tossing their heads and rising up to meet it as the rain pounded, egging them on. The trees swayed and groaned, leaves and branches getting sucked into the whirlwind as the wind viciously tore them from their homes. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught in such weather was being pelted with frigid droplets like shards of ice, attacking and stinging any exposed skin like a swarm of a thousand bees. Heads bent low as they bowed against the wind, people forwent their umbrellas, which were being ripped from their slippery hands, and simply took the battering, struggling to get back into the shelter of their houses. Though they may have been save from the rain in there, they were most certainly not safe from what lurked in the shadows that the heaving, dark clouds cast upon everything.

Grandma Zhang's former piolet had just finished chauffeuring at least two hundred passengers from Sacramento, California to Quebec. Ever since he'd been relieved from his duty by a rather frail-looking eagle, whose voice he knew far too well, he became the piolet for passenger jets and planes. It wasn't quite as luxurious as being a personal piolet, but as long as he was in the air, just like his father Apollo, he was A-OK. He locked his door and turned, drenched down to his T-shirt since rain water had managed to wheedle its way down his back. Sighing, he flung his sopping jacket and hat, as well as his gloves, onto a chair and left his boots and socks to dry on the mat. His house was blissfully warm, however he wasn't surprised when the lights wouldn't turn on, considering the fact that he'd seen a toppled telephone pole on his way back from the airport. Even in the time it took to walk from his the main terminal to the car and then from his car to his front door, he'd managed to get soaked to the very bone. It was not a pleasant feeling.

He shuffled around his living room, his path illuminated by the flashlight on his phone, and managed to find some matches and candles, as well as a flashlight, stowed away within his drawer. His baby Griffin, one who'd been bestowed upon him by Camp Jupiter as an award for taking those three kids away from the Zhang family mansion, Buckbeak (Yes, he had read _Harry Potter_ ), scampered over to him, his wings still too small for his body to be of any use. Buckbeak had the head wings, and forelegs of a golden eagle, with a beautiful crest and startling blue eyes, and the body and tail of a lion. His front legs were equipped with talons and his back with claws, not to mention his sharp beak, so needless to say it was quite painful to keep a griffin in the home. Nevertheless, the piolet wouldn't give up Buckbeak for anything.

"Did ya miss me?" he asked, stooping down and allowing the small eagle-lion hybrid to hop onto his shoulder, and he clucked and chirped in agreement. Buckbeak was no larger than a housecat, which was funny considering by the end of the year he'd be twice as large as a Bengal tiger, and for a moment his form flickered to reveal a sleek tortoiseshell cat. Carrying the flashlight in one hands and Buckbeak on his shoulder, he padded to the kitchen, the cool tile nipping at his toes.

Without his oven or microwave, he was forced to settle for ramen, which took him back to the awkward college years. He filled Buckbeak's bowl with special demigod-approved griffin kibble and sat down at the table to eat his ramen. The table was big, made to sit six or eight people, but demigod work had always halted the piolet from ever marrying or having a family of his own. Maybe he should consider it, but at the moment Buckbeak was all that he needed. He'd selected a book from his collection on his trip to the dining room and was now reading by flashlight.

 _Dante's Inferno_ was a difficult read, but very interesting, and as he chewed on the stringy noodles he couldn't help but marvel at Dante's adventures through the Nine Circles of Hell. For a moment he wondered what the demons really looked like, besides the terrible horns and fangs that he was describing. Would they look lie regular people or would they be hideous beasts that would have everyone in a ten mile radius running away screaming? He mused for a while when all of a sudden he heard a scratching at the window, a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, for it sounded like jagged nails on a chalkboard. The flashlight flickered madly for a few moments, and he gasped, but it eventually regained its steady glow. His heart rate sped up, the instincts imbedded in demigods for over millennia kicking into overdrive; the fear of the monsters that stalk in the night. Buckbeak raised his head and let out a squawk, scampering out of the room to go investigate, so it must've been either an alley cat or a branch, for Buckbeak didn't seem at all alarmed. The batteries to the flashlight were old, anyway, since he didn't remember the last time he used it.

He sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath while running a hand through his still-damp hair, and breathed. The life of a demigod in the mortal world wasn't a pleasant one, for there were no barriers or legions to protect you; there was only you, your wits, your weapon, and your powers, if you had any at all. In the piolet's case, he had none whatsoever, which made him even more vulnerable than other demigods. Had he been a son of Jupiter or Ceres, he'd have reign over at least one aspect of nature, but no, he was a son of Apollo, which only gave him exceptional hearing, music, and athletic abilities. So what, he knew how to play Badminton without having ever touched a racket in his life? That wouldn't help against a hellhound; what was he going to do? Hit it in the eye with a birdie until it surrendered? The one battle skill he did possess was with a bow and a quiver of arrows, both which were currently hung on the nearby wall.

He finished his ramen and discarded the package as well as the plastic fork, shuffling back to his living room and retrieving his book and the flashlight along the way. Buckbeak had yet to return, though that wasn't uncommon; he probably found some nook or cranny to curl up in and had fallen asleep while exploring it. The piolet smiled softly at the thought, making a mental note to try and find the griffin before he went to sleep, just in case he was off causing trouble (like tearing up the entire roll of toilet paper). He sighed at the thought, shaking his head, and continued to read for the next half hour or so. Then, however, the scratching sound came again, louder this time. The flashlight didn't even give a warning. It went out. The piolet was pretty sure his heart had stopped, and he desperately slapped the flashlight, whose glow sputtered weakly with every jolting hit. When the candles all went out he knew that something was wrong, and he didn't take time to dilly-dallying before he lunged for his bow. His hands never reached it.

A cold hand clamped down on his shoulder and dragged him backwards. He didn't even consider his masculinity as he let out a blood-curdling yell, thrown across the room by pursuers who were invisible to him. Lightning flashed, illuminated the dark silhouettes of his attackers. Both humanoid. Both with deathly green eyes that glinted coldly, glowing dimly in the dark. The smaller one's face was slathered in blood, and a few golden feathers clung to the side of his mouth. Buckbeak. The piolet didn't have time to mourn or grieve, for the next time the lightning flashed they were right in front of him, their serrated teeth shining. Then he realized who it was.

"Hello Roman demigod who helped Nico di Angelo, Frank Zhang, and Hazel Levesque escape the Laistrygonians," Perseus growled, his voice like a snake's whisper; tempting and unable to be ignored. The piolet whimpered. The demons eyes practically glowed as he drank up the sound. "Oh you are going to be so much _fun._ "

-Ω-

Gwen tramped through the fallen branches and leaves with a pep in her step, despite the fact that she held a bowl of demigod blood within her hands, the crimson fluid sloshing around nauseatingly. Frank followed behind her warily, his eyes darting about. He had agreed to join Gwen on her trek to Perseus' this week, and even though he wasn't as terrified as he'd been before, he certainly wasn't relaxed. He'd seen the mass exodus of animals last week, the animals that were supposed to be used to Perseus by now. They'd returned soon after, though, and the camp supposed that there'd just been a commotion in the forest that had startled them.

"Are you sure that he's safe?" Frank asked her. She turned her head back to him, quirking an eyebrow, though she immediately had to return her attention on the path as she swerved to avoid a collision with a tree.

"Gods no," she scoffed. "But he's saf _er_ than any other monster we've faced. He's a really nice guy if you get to know him." This didn't do much to soothe Frank's nerves, and Gwen had nerves of her own. Ever since her mad dash to Percy when the animals had left, only to find Perseus casually munching on the leg of a deer, she'd been anxious about him. He'd looked…off. There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. Something dangerous. And she'd sworn that he'd kept casting wary glances at his burrow whenever he thought that the demigod wasn't looking. It was as if he'd been hiding something in that burrow, and at the time Gwen had assumed that it was just the rest of the body of the deer, stowed away so the demigod wouldn't be disgusted.

Thinking back on it, that probably wasn't the case at all, considering that nearly all of Percy's face was covered in blood and he was taking dainty nibbles out of the leg; if he was that neat of an eater, then why was his whole face soaking in the animal's bodily fluid? It would explain the absence of the rest of the deer's body better than the hiding in the cave, considering the fact that Perseus was the absolute opposite of embarrassed and self-conscious. He'd eat a whole moose in front of Gwen if he had the chance. That only made her shiver at the possibilities.

They finally reached the clearing and found it Percy-less, which was odd, considering that the demon had an incredible nose and was always waiting for her when she arrived. Gwen, of course, knew where the demon probably was and strode over to his burrow, despite Frank's hiss of disapproval. She knocked once on the tree and called out to him, which would undoubtedly jerk him out of his slumber, but there was no answer to be found. She slowly knelt down, not wanting to get her face ripped off, and peered inside. She was surprised to find all of the bedding old and brittle. Perseus usually replaced the leaves and grass every two days or so, but this bedding had long since rotted. It was clear that the demon hadn't been here in a while.

"This is bad," she said, turning to Frank, whose eyes were almost as wide as hers. "This is really bad."


	18. Humanas Creaturas

**(A/N) I've been having a bit of writer's block trouble. So I apologize. Any ideas on where this story should go? I have no clue whatsoever.**

Nico was sure that something was wrong the moment he showed up at Camp Jupiter. It looked like they were recovering, not to mention the fact that the fauns were acting more skittish than usual, and he really didn't feel like going through this stuff when all he wanted to do was visit and hang out with his little sister. Speaking of whom, Hazel looked a bit worse for wear, simply telling Nico that Frank had been anxious and therefore she'd been anxious as well. With this anxiousness came terrible insomnia, and Nico would be lying if he said that he wasn't concerned for his sister's wellbeing. She led him to his usual quarters that he insisted on every single time he visited; his old bunk in the Fifth Cohort barracks. It was a bit lonely without Dakota and Gwen there, and Hazel and Frank had both been moved to the Praetor's quarters. It smelled and felt like home, though, and he had Will to keep him company.

"So this is where you were when I spent fucking forever trying to find you," Will remarked, looking around at the simple and bleak demeanor of the barracks. "I thought it would be more…grand."

"You've stayed here countless times, Will, you already know what it looks like," Nico snapped as he rummaged through his duffel bag to make sure that everything was in place. "Top or bottom?"

"Top," Will exclaimed, getting _that look_. Nico quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh wait, you mean on the bunk bed? Then bottom, please." There was a chorus of groaning amongst the soldiers that'd been unfortunate enough to overhear, and Nico's growl of disapproval joined theirs. The son of Hades felt Will's arms encircle his waist from behind as his boyfriend nosed his neck affectionately, and he only grunted to let him know that the apology had been accepted. "You're such a downer," the son of Apollo tutted as he noted Nico's sour expression.

"Enough innuendoes, let's get going," the black-haired boy snapped and seized Will's arm, dragging him out of the barracks, their exit being followed by dozens of cat calls and wolf whistles.

"Ooh, I like it when you're all bossy like this," Will crooned and winked suggestively, ignoring the withering glare that his boyfriend cast back at him.

"We're not having sex in a roomful of Roman soldiers if that's what you're getting at here," Nico replied, his voice like acid, releasing Will's arm so they could fall into step side-by-side. Despite having come out, as well as the fact that everyone and their grandmother knew that Nico was hella gay for Will, the son of Hades still felt his cheeks heat when his boyfriend's arm wrapped around his waist, his hand resting on the boy's hip. They'd discussed PDA and Nico had deemed it alright only in the smallest forms, but he couldn't help but feel like everyone was staring at him, even though they weren't. Yes, there have been people who thought that Nico was not only an abomination because of his heritage, but a sinner by mortals as they eyed their lingering touches and fleeting kisses. He'd stopped caring, at least slightly, and felt comfortable to say the least.

"I'm pretty sure Frank wanted to talk to us, so we should swing by their place later," Nico said offhandedly, perfectly content to just take their time in New Rome. Children romped around while adults chatted and watched from afar, grappling at each other and imitating different monsters and heroes. There were grandmothers showing their granddaughters how to feed the birds and grandfathers testing homemade kites out with their grandsons. It was an endearing sight, especially when Nico caught wind of the couples sharing milkshakes at the outdoor cafés. He wanted to try that out, but Will had apparently missed his implications of taking their time and was now dragging him towards the Praetor's quarters.

Nico imagined a hearty reunion and then a trip to go get ice cream, but what he certainly didn't expect was Reyna and Gwen to be there, along with Frank and Hazel. Their expressions were grave, and Nico almost scolded them for putting a damper on his fairly good mood, though he knew that his actions would've been unappreciated and inappropriate for the situation. There was a tablet set up on the table, and Nico felt proud when he saw that it was one of Leo's designs; a tablet that did everything a normal one could do, and also functioned without magical barriers and demigod powers affecting its performance. He'd also installed a software that prevented a signal from flaring up when a demigod searched something, within the borders of a camp or no, so when a demigod looked up "hellhound" they wouldn't have to face the actual thing afterwards. The son of Hephaestus, along with his girlfriend Calypso, had replicated all of the gadgets in the world like this, from phones to laptops to IPods, they had them all. The two bozos were actually making serious drachmas and denarii from it.

On the screen, though, was a play button that signaled a video ready to be broadcasted, and by the looks of it, they weren't going to be showing them the newest cat videos. Aurum and Argentum trotted over, their tails low and their ears pinned back, as if they sensed the tension in the room, and for the first time in years Nico actually felt afraid of them, their ruby eyes glaring at him sharply. Reyna didn't even bother with an introduction once we'd all gathered around the device, clicking play. There was no sound, but it was dark as all hell. Sometimes the room lit up with a chilling blue-white, indicating a thunderstorm outside, and no sooner did the video begin did a small shape begin to weave in and out of the furniture.

"That's just his griffin, Buckbeak," Reyna explained before Nico could even open his mouth. Another few minutes passed with the griffin maneuvering throughout the living room, stopping occasionally to sit by the front door but eventually scampering back towards the couches. He sometimes disappeared from view, off to go play in another room, but he'd usually return shortly afterwards to monitor the front door. Eventually, the door opened and in stepped a person whose face was too blurry to make out on the recording, which was obviously from a surveillance camera of sorts.

"That's Lukas Reagan. The pilot who flew us away from my grandmother's house," Frank told them quietly. Will's eyebrows shot towards his hairline, and Nico finally saw the resemblance between the two. He never really thought about the pilot that'd helped them all those years ago, was only grateful for his actions, but he never considered his personal life. He took off his boots and coat, as well as his socks, and Buckbeak soon ran over to greet him jovially. His lips moved, and Nico cursed the fact that there was no sound, but he couldn't really dwell on that when he caught a glimpse of two shadows illuminated by lightning that were following Lukas into the kitchen. Buckbeak soon ran out of the room and out of the camera's view, and the lightning flashed again to reveal a small figure, with horns, a tail, glowing green eyes, and sharp talons. Its mouth was filled with needle-like teeth to the point where it couldn't close it, and for a moment his form flickered to reveal a small boy who had matching eyes. His gaze was trained on where the griffin had gone. When the lightning flashed he'd long since disappeared, but there was a dark spattering of liquid that hadn't been there before. When Lukas returned, it was too dark to see the blood and he started to read.

Lightning.

Two figures stood behind the man on the couch. The same one as earlier, along with another that looked exactly like him but only bigger and just as horrific looking.

Lightning.

They were gone.

Lightning.

Lukas looked around warily, his eyes scanning the dark room and failing to see the twin, disembodied shadows on the wall.

Lightning.

They were upon him, and the three began to struggle.

Lightning.

The beasts were tearing into the pilot's corpse, burying their faces into his body and tearing out huge hunks of meat. Nico could almost hear the sound of ripping flesh and smell the sharp metallic tang of blood, and Will had excused himself to go to the bathroom, looking a little green. The body was no match for their serrated claws and teeth, and pretty soon he was nothing more than a skull, for all the other bones had been eaten. The big one turned to the camera, its green eyes trained on it as if it knew it was there, and its form flickered. Reyna paused the surveillance tape.

There, with Lukas' blood slathered on his nose and mouth and dribbling down his chin and neck, was Perseus. He was smiling, revealing serrated teeth that glinted in the light of the thunderstorm, and Nico's stomach plummeted to the ground. Perseus was back at it again, and now he had a friend, which would explain how he's not being tracked down by his brothers and sisters anymore. He looked nearly identical to the other demon, and Nico remembered reading somewhere that demons were always birthed in pairs. This must've been his brother…his _real_ brother, and with the two killing machines together, they may be just enough to break the world.

-Ω-

 _Never had a man hunted within the Hunters of Artemis. Never had the Hunters of Artemis hunted with a man. Orion was strong and fast, his movements were quicker than lightning striking the earth, faster than any demigod imaginable. He was faster than Perseus with his winged shoes, faster than Bellerophon on Pegasus, faster than Hercules himself as he danced around the Nemean lion. He was a fiercer fighter than any of those heroes ever would be, and one would almost assume that he was immortal, though the gods had never granted him this immortality. His story was misinterpreted, the real version left untold purposefully to keep the whole matter hush-hush, and it was the gods that had commanded that his story die along with him. It was a time where Christians were being executed in droves upon droves and the Roman Empire was the largest of its time. It wasn't just the mass extinction of Christians that was occurring, though._

 _Deep within the woods, where no mortal foot had ever left its print upon the ground, a band of young hunters leapt through the underbrush. They were as swift as deer and as crafty as vixens, with the graces of panthers and the loyalty of lionesses pumping through their veins. All were young, and all were female…except one. A person would be surprised to see this young man running with these agile hunters. He was gangly and thin, his skin so pale you could see his veins despite the fact that he spent all of his time outside. He stayed in the shade, though, and showed distinct aversion to sunlight, and sometimes if you watched him for long enough his pupils would slit like a snake's. They returned to normal so quickly though that the untrained eye would never notice it, and even though his skin looked soft, it actually concealed rippling muscles that could rip trees from their very roots. He kept incredible pace with the hunters, though, and people whispered of a lone young man running with the girls in the forest._

 _The young man and the goddess of those hunters were quite close, friends even. It was a feat, considering that any man that dared to come near Artemis or her huntresses was smote where he stood. Orion was different, and even though all of the myths and legends depicted him as a strapping fellow with a scraggly beard and bulging muscles, he was really far from it. He was quiet and only spoke if necessary, which helped the hunters warm up to him. The young girls had rejected the goddess' decision to allow him to join their everlasting hunt for two explanations; one obviously being because he was a man, and two for much darker reasons. They had ceased their complaining soon after, though, when they were faced with the monsters that they were now required to hunt._

 _Demons._

 _Orion was one of them, and he was the only one who could kill them. It was, of course, because he was a demon himself, but the hunters didn't know that that was the reason (They weren't stupid enough not to notice the fact that he was, indeed, a demon). The hunters wore the beasts down and wounded them, but Orion always made the final kill, and demons never forgive. He had to, for no one else, not even the goddess, could do so. No one knew why Orion would abandon his own kin for the hunters and the very beings whose flesh he ate, but it was rumored that he loved Artemis and would follow her to the ends of the earth if he had to. They slaughtered millions upon millions of demons all over the world, until only one was left. They didn't know this, however, but he did. He purposefully let one live, because he didn't like the humans. He liked Artemis, and even though he had killed all of his kin down to the very last one, he wouldn't commit genocide and leave him to be the last demon standing. That was a problem, because demons never forgive. It would be just him in the world, alone and most likely prosecuted for who he was. Why should he risk it all for the goddess?_

 _It was rumored that Orion died because he made a move on Artemis or one of her hunters, but that wasn't the case. He ventured out for a while to visit the last demon, the demon whose name was Abaddon, but eventually assumed Perseus' name as to not attract attention to himself. He hadn't gone by Abaddon since the beginning of the world, and had long since assumed Perseus' name. In fact, it was said that Perseus' mother had actually named her son after the demon as to ward away any monsters that wanted to take a chunk out of him. Orion, however, was foolish to visit Abaddon. Abaddon had been thrown into a rage at the death of his brother, and was in no such mood to see the person who'd killed him. The demon's rage sizzled and burned slowly, an undying layer of hatred that formed the ultimate grudge against the hunter and what he'd done._

 _Artemis soon found Orion's body. She and her hunters mourned him, but they never really knew why he was the only one able to kill all the demons. They assumed he'd died of natural causes, since they knew very little about demons and their traits, and supposed that all of the demons in the world were gone. But one demon still remained, alone and sullen in the world with nothing left._

 _And demons never forgive._


	19. Eisque Aeternae

**(A/N) Hello? Hello?! Anybody there?** ** _Review please :)_**

 **Disclaimer: No soy dueño de PJO (google translate)**

"The only way to kill a demon is with another demon," Nico stated allowed, his brows furrowing. Though some of the other Romans were teary-eyed, he hadn't really known the man, and his expertly stowed away his sadness for another time, needing to remain strong for the sake of the others. "So now that Perseus has gone dark side the world's screwed."

"Well thanks for the uplifting speech," Will grouched, folding his arms over his chest. "Not reassuring if that's what you were aiming for." The tension in the air was so thick it could almost be cut with a knife, and Nico felt suffocated as he breathed it in and out. Hazel and Frank were whispering quietly to one another while Reyna was wearing a hole in the floor with her frantic pacing.

"Perhaps we can get Artemis to tell us what her secret was to kill demons?" she suggested, pausing and for a moment hope sparking in her eyes.

"No, she probably swore on the Styx or else we'd be slaying demons left and right by now," Frank snorted, shaking his head. "Unlike demons, they're actually bound to Styx promises."

"Shit," Reyna replied, resuming her pacing. You could see ideas whistling through her head, each one being eliminated in turn as another replaced it. "It's hopeless."

"Don't say that," Nico insisted, even though his entire body screamed to let him sit back and watch the apocalypse go on in silence. He'd already done his fair share of world saving, and yet it always managed to be thrust back into danger again and again. First the titans, where every single person and creature had said, "He's is impossible to defeat" but somehow Nico managed it, Kronos' weakness being those who he put his trust in. Then he defeated the giants, who everyone was like, "Oh, we're _positive_ you can't beat these guys" and their weakness was teamwork on the opposing side. Then Gaea rose and everyone was like, "Holy fuck you can never, _ever_ beat her" and yet Nico had done so, with great help from those close to him. Her weakness had been her newly rejuvenated self; the demigods had nipped it at the bud before she could grow any more powerful. Now it was the demons, and Nico was beginning to falter and crumble, because these demons didn't have _any_ weaknesses aside from each other, and they were such a well-knit, killing machine that that wasn't in any way going to happen.

"Our biggest shot is finding Perseus and his friend and asking them nicely to stop killing the very delicious people and start killing their own brothers and sisters," Hazel told them, and even Nico's perky little sister sounded defeated. Nico wanted to reassure her, wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right and that it would all end eventually, just like how the giants and Gaea and Kronos and all the other monsters fell, becoming nothing but dust and shadows, and the bitter memories that reminded them of the terrible experiences would soon crumble like the monsters and beasts they were about. But that wasn't the case. The option with even the _slightest_ chance of survival revolved around a damn speculation, which was more of a hopeful fantasy, that a demon would drop everything and run to aid the very things that he hunted. And that only had the slightest chance for survival; the chance for success was practically nonexistent.

If facing one demon was suicide, facing an army of demons promised pure annihilation. They might as well offer themselves up as personal feeding troughs as of now, because even though they'd be treated only like sacks of blood that were easily expendable, at least there was the chance that they'd be able to bear it together. There was that word again. _Chance._ No, it certainly wasn't foolproof, it certainly wasn't probable, but there was a microscopic _chance_ that they would be able to convince Perseus to convert to their side, and even then he was one demon against thousands, maybe even millions. Once he was struck down, there was hell to pay. A microscopic _chance_ that if, _when,_ they were captured and used as foodstuffs for hungry mouths, they would be able to suffer together. Only fools clung to those microscopic _chances,_ and if that was the case then every demigod was a complete and total chump.

"Maybe we can get Ella to tell us more of the demon book?" Will asked, "She definitely knew a lot more than she was letting on."

"No," Nico replied almost immediately. "She was very determined to keep the words a secret. I don't think we'd be able to get anything else out of her; it was hard enough to get the demon killing information."

"But-"

"No means no, and we're not going to pester her or else Tyson will rip me a new one and I'll probably end up with a broken everything," the son of Hades interrupted flatly, and Will could only sigh and nod that he understood. In the back of his mind, ever since his mother and sister died and he'd lost every mortal family member to the world of gods and monsters, Nico had known that one day shit was going to hit the fan. Sure, he'd mistaken that moment for when he discovered Kronos' return, or when Porphyrion and the other giants emerged, or when Gaea finally opened her terrible eyes, but in that single moment shit was flying as the fan continued to spin, and the son of Hades felt his resolve crumble. There were no other options. Just a suicide mission that would almost undoubtedly end in failure, and that "almost" was what he was holding onto with all of his might, gripping it tightly lest he fall into the void of despair that awaited him if his hands slipped or if his palms became too sweaty.

Without a word, he shadow-travelled out of the room, ignoring Will's indignant cry, and plopped himself into the long, rolling fields that sprawled behind the aqueduct, which had been repaired since Polybotes had smashed through it. He kept those thoughts out of his head, preventing himself from becoming too rash and cocky. _I defeated an army of huge giants! Doesn't that make me invincible? Demons don't stand a chance,_ the voice that was his pride gloated, and the son of Hades sighed and picked at the grass chutes to distract himself, relishing in the cool breeze that caused them to quiver and shake. He wished he had a friend, one that didn't talk back and just listened intently to what he was saying, and soon he realized that he did have one. Closing his eyes, he reached out for the mental bond that they shared, though it was far less complicated than he and Grover's link, and eventually he heard the flapping of wings and the sound of hooves touching down on the grass.

"Hey, Blackjack," Nico said softly, patting the ground next to him. The pegasus tossed his head and pawed the ground as if in greeting and sunk down next to the demigod, his enormous black wings folding to the sides of his body. Nico laughed when he saw the stallion's wild-eyed expression and haphazard mane. "Still not used to shadow-travel, huh?" Nico had gained the ability to make other objects shadow-travel without him being there. Now, this would've been quite useful in the capturing of demons and Perseus; he could just make them fall into their own shadows and dump them all into a giant pentagram that lay deep in the depths of Tartarus, but sadly that wasn't possible. He needed consent first, like some sort of vampire entering a home, and couldn't make anyone or anything living shadow-travel without their say-so. It explains why Nico hadn't teleported Perseus to him in their time of search.

Nico told Blackjack everything there was to know about his current situation, voicing his worries and his doubts, and the pegasus simply nibbled at the grass and watched him with his big, round eyes. Blackjack was intelligent, and that Nico was sure of, but he obviously couldn't understand English all that well and was probably just paying attention because he wanted a sugar cube or something. He talked about Will and their relationship. He was nineteen now, almost twenty, and with no parents present for either of them, he felt ready to propose. He wasn't sure how to do it, though. Should he do the whole get-down-on-one-knee-in-a-place-of-value cliché, or should he stick with something more meaningful? Blackjack chuffed in what seemed to be agreement, so Nico supposed that the latter would be better for the two of them. Besides, where was he going to get a ring? The jewelers in New Rome would undoubtedly craft him one for no charge, considering the deeds he's done, but then it didn't seem special. He didn't want a favor, he wanted a ring. A simple wedding band would've sufficed, but Nico didn't really want to be plain like that.

The sun began to touch the horizon as Nico told Blackjack of all the things he wanted to do with or to Will. He wanted to do all those fluffy and sickening couple-y things like going on a trip cross-country and going to Paris. He wanted to make love to him with a view of the New York skyline. He wanted to hold him close and never let go, because Will was truly his everything. His sister came in a close second, but everyone else was just background noise. He cared for them dearly, but that was dwarfed by the way his heart swelled and his stomach still got butterflies when Will smiled or laughed or did something cute. Blackjack seemed a bit fed-up with Nico's honest-to-god _swooning_ over Will, like a best friend that would kill someone if they heard _one more word_ about so-and-so's eyes or so-and-so's lips. Nico didn't care, though, and it was already dark when the love of his life finally found him sitting with his pegasus, pointing out the constellations that the horse didn't care about, the constellations that even he never cared about until Will began to show them to him during a nice nighttime picnic on the beach at Camp Half-Blood.

"Let's get you back," the son of Apollo said softly, and Nico bid farewell to Blackjack, who swooped towards the unicorn stables to rest and in hopes of getting a pretty unicorn mare to go out with him, at least that's what Nico made up in his head. He nodded tiredly and allowed his caring boyfriend to lead him away, the night air beginning to become chilly as they finally flopped down onto Nico's bunk bed in the barracks. Neither of them bothered with changing into a more comfortable outfit and neither of them wanted to sleep in separate beds tonight. Nico didn't even have the energy to complain about being the little spoon.

-Ω-

It was late afternoon when Jason got the Iris message. He'd just finished teaching sword fighting to a group of new campers, who were more star-struck than anything to have _the_ Jason Grace teaching them both Greek and Roman moves and which battles they would be good for. The Aphrodite kids payed little to no attention, and the girls were giggling and blushing when the son of Zeus looked their way. The children of Venus, on the other hand, were some of the best fighters out there, dominating almost all of the Greek campers, even those who had more powerful parents; the more war-like Venus dominating their fighting skills. Jason always got nostalgic when he taught younger campers, knowing that one time in his life _he'd_ been the trainee.

Even though they were young, they still had boundless amounts of energy, and Jason had been shirtless and sweaty when they Iris message came. Reyna choked a bit on the water she'd been drinking and shielded her eyes as Jason scrambled to find one of the many shirts that were strewn around the Zeus cabin, which was a pigsty. Discarded pieces of clothing were scattered on the floor and the sheets of his bed were rumpled and unmade. A pair of boxers was dangling off of Zeus' lightning bolt. How that managed to get there, Jason had no idea. He finally returned, sporting a fresh, crisp Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, and by then Hazel, Frank, Will, and Nico had all joined Reyna. Jason frowned; this was supposed to be the couple's vacation, and normally boyfriends didn't have that look on their faces when they were visiting family.

"We have a problem," Reyna told him. "A _big_ problem."

"Giants big or world-threatening big?" Jason asked, his heart practically deflating. The Praetor's face darkened and the other demigods lowered their gazes to the ground.

"Get Chiron and the rest of the Seven. And Rachel and Annabeth, if you can."

"Okay, the gang's all here," Leo announced, though his humor fell flat when no laughter ensued. Chiron stepped forwards, his hooves making a hollow clopping sound on the marble floor. His brows were knit and his eyes sparkled with both anxiety and confusion, on top of curiosity.

"Why have you called us, Reyna?" he asked, stroking his beard absently. "I don't suppose it's for a chat." At this, the Praetor laughs all too bitterly, in response raising a screen to the Iris message. A video plays, and that's how Jason found out that the piolet that had shepherded Nico, Frank, and Hazel off the Zhang family estate had been torn to shreds.

"Turn it off," he said hoarsely as Perseus ripped into the piolet's flesh, and for once he was glad that security cameras had no sound. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the rest of the assembled demigods and the oracle blanch considerably as Perseus' counterpart tore an arm out of the corpse's socket. Reyna did as she was told and set the tablet somewhere out of the Iris message's line of sight, and Jason finally felt like he could breathe again. His head was ponding, blood roaring in his ears; Perseus had broken his oath, and had done so without any consequences. Demons weren't bound by the Styx promise, and that was clear when Perseus had eaten an innocent; he'd both killed and taken without consent, which was obvious since nobody would really consent to being eaten, but thankfully Perseus and his friend had the mercy to not dig in before the piolet was dead.

"So what do you want?" Annabeth asked, crossing her arms, though her voice was shaking from the aftereffects of the video. Even the stoic daughter of Athena couldn't shield herself from such horrors.

"We want Jason," Nico replied. "Regrouping. You, me, and Will again. It's a pathetic plan, but it has the best chance of survival; we have to try to convince Perseus to…come back to our side." Chiron's gaze was distant as he mulled over this, as well as

"That's suicide," Jason whispered, and Piper clutched his arm protectively. Nico ran a hand down his face, looking exhausted beyond belief, and just as scared as the rest of them.

"I know," he replied. Softer, he repeated, "I know."

"Is there anything else? Any other options?" Rachel questioned. Mostly to herself, she added, "The oracle is silent. She probably only deals with Greek problems."

"No, there are no other solutions. We need a demon on our side to kill other demons, and we don't have a demon at our disposal."

"Maybe you do," Chiron replied suddenly, returning to the real world. All eyes shot to him, staring expectantly and with slight hope, slight hope that they'll live through all of this. There was a long pause, where the centaur opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again, hesitant to say the least. Then he took a deep breath and all but whispered, "Orion."

"Orion?" Leo asked. "Isn't that the dude that tried to hit on Artemis and got killed?"

"No, he didn't hit on Artemis." Annabeth gave him a confused look, and every single demigod assembled was reeling with confusion. But that's what all of the myths said, and in their fucked-up world, all myths were true. He'd either died at the hand of a giant scorpion, died at Artemis' hand, or died at the hand of a giant scorpion that Artemis had conjured. "He was a demon." There was silence. Complete and utter silence.

"You're joking," Annabeth stated, though she sounded unsure of herself. "Stop joking. That's not funny." Chiron just gazed at her balefully, and in that moment they saw the eons-old centaur who'd trained all the great heroes instead of their guide, friend, and camp manager.

"I wish I was. I'm risking my life now, telling you this, for the gods needed to keep it quiet as not to tarnish their image; in order to kill all of the demons, Artemis and her hunters worked in tandem to slay every last one. Only…Orion didn't. He sensed that one was left, that one was alone and angry and upset, and he decided to grant him a mercy. He was too kind for his own good, didn't want to commit genocide and most of all didn't want to be the last of his kind. It's a terrifying thing, being one of the last of a dying breed, as centaurs have been hunted to near extinction over the centuries, and Orion couldn't handle the responsibility. He went to meet this demon in secret and his name was…" a pause, and everyone sucked in a sharp breath, "Abaddon." Everyone was in the middle of breathing out a sigh of relief when Chiron continued, "But he went by the name of Perseus." The temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees at the uttering of the demon's name, and Jason seriously expected some Harry Potter Voldemort taboo shit to go down and they'd have an armful of furious, human-eating demon as of that moment, but nothing happened.

"What does it have to do with us? Orion died even before you were born," Will asked, his brows knitting together. "It's not like we can raise him from the dead…" A sharp pause. All eyes slid to Nico, whose face had become as expressionless and as ashen as a statue's, having long since figured out the answer to the problem.

"Orion went directly to the Isle of the Blessed for his deeds, despite the fact that most demons go to Hell and he hadn't been rebirthed, but Hades had made an exception for him. It is possible to bring him back to the mortal world." With that sentence left dangling in the air, Chiron quickly galloped out of the cabin, as if to run away from the topic altogether. The demigods were left alone with their thoughts and the knowledge that it was possible that they could win. It was possible for them to survive without becoming a demon's personal blood bag. Slowly, as any elite team would do, they began to devise a plan.


	20. Venenum Propinare

**(A/N) Having a bit of writer's block on this story so I apologize if this chapter sucks.**

 _PLEASE REVIEW I NEED TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS_

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PJO**

Even after several thousand years, Orion still woke up every day wondering what he'd done to deserve this miracle. Sure, the other heroes who'd managed to attain their status as an inhabitants of the Isles of the Blest avoided him like the plague, but he'd always cherished solitude. Every day he'd crawl out of his burrow in the lush forests, unlike the others who clung to the beautiful sandy beaches, and stroll about, exploring. There was always something new to be discovered, and even if Orion traveled for weeks and weeks the second he turned and began to walk back, his burrow was only a few yards away. The Isle seemed to understand Orion's loathing of the artificial sun in the Underworld, as well as people, so he neither emerged on the shores, nor ran into any other explorers.

The birds were singing and flitting through the trees on silent wings, and a cool breeze whispered through the woods and caused the branches to sway lazily along with it. On the Isles it was always the perfect temperature, never too hot or too cold, and Orion curled up even farther into his den, comfortable beyond anything he'd ever known. After much scouting and searching during his first few years there, Orion had lined the floor with the best mosses and leaves that he could find, ones that never turned brown and brittle and were always comfortable to lie on. Many of the others conjured beds and huge beachside estates, but Orion was a man of simplicity, he did run with the Hunters for a considerable amount of time after all, and was content with the home he'd dug into the ground, choosing a location under an overhang of rock that would provide perfect shelter from the much-hated sunlight that filtered through the foliage. He was comfy and glad that he didn't need sustenance, and on some days he'd lay in his burrow for weeks on end and just sleep, which was also unneeded but very satisfying all the same.

The luxury and splendor of the Isles of the Blest didn't stave off the loneliness, however rare it may be. Orion would sometimes drift off for hours, just reveling on the good old days when he was running side-by-side with the Hunters of Artemis. They'd been hesitant to trust him at first, but when they finally grew accustomed to his presence they'd become much like the sisters that he never had. Of course, he had many sisters, but they were deadbeat brutes that he had no attachment to whatsoever. This fraternal bond was much more than he could ever forge with his own flesh and blood. He recalled sprinting through the trees in pursuit of a particularly nasty fiend, moving together as a pack of wolves and working just as well. It was a team effort, and many of his days he spent missing being a part of that team.

Then there was Artemis.

Dear, intelligent, rough-and-tough Artemis.

Orion could bear to think about the hunts without getting homesick, but eventually his thoughts would stray to the leader of that band of ragtag maidens. He'd loved her so much, and when he woke up curled around her every morning he couldn't help but think of her as a mate of sorts. But no, that wasn't the case, no matter what Orion's basic biology had told him. To Artemis, that was just brotherly protection, a demonic sense of duty that all of his kind shared with their kin. That alone was enough of a reason not to tell her everything. Sure, she'd been suspicious and downright furious at times, but never in their immense amount of time together would Artemis hold a grudge. There were arguments, sure, but they always ended in embraces, and Orion didn't think he could stay angry at those glittering silver eyes that looked hard from the outside, but in reality held so many emotions that were believed that gods couldn't possibly feel.

The demon soured a bit when he thought about the one who'd torn him away from that world. He didn't give two shits about whether he'd changed his name or not; Orion would always think of him as Abaddon. The heartbroken and rage-filled kin of his that was too loyal to those he loved, even if those he loved were now among the dead. Orion had had to tear his twin to pieces, and even though he'd despised her and hadn't felt a twinge of empathy as he drove his knife in and out of her body, he'd still killed family. Sure, demons were all one big, happy, dysfunctional, and mildly homicidal family, but they'd actually been birthed from the same mother. Abaddon had had the unfortunate opportunity to truly bond with his twin, Alpheus, the young man who was identical to him but always chose to appear younger and more innocent (which, by the way, was how they lured unsuspecting bleeding hearts to slaughter with sob stories). They were a tag team, two demons who had fused into one, and when Orion had pounced on the boy while he was drinking from a stream, Abaddon had lost his other half. It was a dangerously codependent relationship that they'd shared, and tearing it apart had caused Orion his life.

He couldn't really blame the demon, though. What he and the hunters had had was probably a lot like the bond Abaddon and Alpheus had shared, and now that he'd been torn away from them, there was a gaping hole in his heart that would never be filled again. He sighed a bit, deciding that he was going to sleep for a few more centuries or so, when the snapping of a twig alerted him. Twigs didn't snap in this forest. Here, everything remained intact unless Orion physically altered it, and a snapping twig signaled that there was another presence nearby. By the scents that reached his nose, there were actually _three_ presences. The sharp reek of anxiety stung Orion's nose, but despite this all of them seemed confident and didn't intend to do any sort of harm to the demon.

"Hello?" a voice called. "Hello!" Something was definitely wrong here. The souls that resided in the Isles of the Blest spoke in that odd chatter and wandered aimlessly as their memories faded into nothing, however Orion, as a demon, didn't deteriorate as the others did. He almost wished that was the case as another sharp stab of longing plunged into his gut. Orion slunk out of his burrow warily, and he heard the sharp intake of breath from the…he paused, taking in the smell of _god_ that was only barely there. Demigods, then, and he wondered why he was surprised. He huffed a bit, not wanting to assist them in their misadventures, for he'd heard stories of souls being sought out to solve problems and it never ended well for the soul, though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't burning with curiosity. This was the most exciting thing that'd happened to him since he'd been killed, and in the back of his mind he wondered how they'd gotten here in the first place, though the lingering scent of _Hades_ and _death_ that clung to the scrawniest one explained it.

He was just turning to retreat back into his den when the scrawny one spoke up, "Are you Orion? The demon?" He froze. No one was supposed to know that. I'd just been a secret, a secret between him and the Hunters and the gods. To everyone else he'd been a son of Poseidon and Euryale, King Minos' daughter, and that's how it was supposed to stay. Now he was listening. "We need your help."

-Ω-

It hadn't taken much for Nico to slip the three of them to the Isles of the Blest, considering the fact that shadow-travel came much more easily when the destination was located in the underworld. Despite this information, which the son of Hades eagerly relayed to the other two questers, Will wasn't at all happy. Jason, wanting to support Nico, told the son of Apollo that it'd been such a long time since Nico overused his abilities that there was nothing to worry about. The normally sunny boy gave him such a withering glare that it rivaled Annabeth's "Look of Doom", as Leo had called it. Secretly, Jason had been ecstatic to go to the Underworld, being the only one of the three to have never visited, but what he hadn't expected was to be trudging through a boring tropical island that looked like every other tropical island he'd been too. With Nico's shadow-travel, they'd skipped all the fun stuff like Cerberus and Charon and the River Styx and Hades' palace, which he was kind of glad about because he'd been a bit scared of an accidental encounter with the death god, but nevertheless it was still awesome.

Now he was stuck maneuvering through a huge forest that Nico seemed to know like the back of his hand, not even hesitating as he wove through the enormous boughs and leaving him and Will struggling to keep pace. At least it was a nice forest, with the singing birds and the beautiful flora and the lack of mosquitos, but it was still a forest all the same. Jason had been to a lot of forests and this one was no more interesting than the others in the mortal world. At least there would be some pizzazz, with this being the Isle of the Blest and all, but it remained plain and uninteresting. Trees? Seen plenty of em'. Tropical birds? Sorta cool, but they were just birds. Bushes? There were a lot of bushes on Earth. Jason was so very, very bored, and if Will's expression was anything to go by, their thoughts were mirrored.

It began to get at least mildly interesting when Nico stopped in a seemingly insignificant hole. It was a pretty big hole, so big that no small animal could've accomplished such a thing. A bear, maybe, but there wasn't anything dangerous in the Isle on the Blest. Okay, very interesting. It was pretty deep and curved under an overhang of rock so that Jason couldn't see what lay at the end, and it was lined with mosses and leaves that looked comfortable enough to sleep on. Will and Nico exchanged a look and the son of Hades nodded at his boyfriend, taking his hand, which Jason thought was very cute. He turned back to the hole, eying it with distain. So this was Orion's lair, then. For the slayer of all…most, demons who was also a demon himself, Jason expected something more dramatic. The ground littered with the bones of enemies, deep claw marks in the rock, a sharpened stake with a severed head on it; all Jason wanted was a little something that clearly screamed 'demon', but there was nothing of the sort to be found.

The son of Zeus' heart was slamming against his ribcage and anxiety was practically seeping off of him, and his companions looked a little uneasy, too. He froze when he heard rustling coming from inside the den, and he was pretty sure that his heart would beat out of his chest in anticipation and, he admits, fear. What if Orion was spiteful? What if he'd gone dark side like Perseus had? Nico had assured them that there was no reason for the demon to hold a grudge against demigods, but he might not be happy for his paradise to be disturbed. They should be prepared to get rejected, though, because many souls were touchy about their afterlife and wouldn't want it ruined. Nico had also told them that, unlike other souls, who were mortal, Orion would've retained his memory and his speech. They shouldn't have a problem communicating with him, but Jason was still afraid that he'd mess up his Ancient Greek and make a death threat of some sort. At least he, Nico, and Will wouldn't have to travel very far if they were slaughtered where they stood.

He was yanked out of his musings by a sharp intake of breath from his friends, and when he saw why he nearly jumped out of his skin. A young man was sitting on top of the rocks that hung over the cave, his shoulders tense as he watched the assembled demigods with glittering gold eyes. Jason was pretty sure he would've seen him come out of the burrow or at least heard him climbing the rock, but that hadn't been the case. If he wasn't Orion and had come from the forest, then he would've heard his footsteps, and Jason really, really hoped that this young man wasn't Orion, because then his dreams would've been ruined.

Unlike the strong, powerful son of Poseidon in the myths, who had bulging muscles and a manly beard, this Orion was probably the exact opposite or at least _close_ to the exact opposite. He was clean shaven and was pretty young-looking, about Jason's age, and his disheveled hair was a very dark brown, almost black, which greatly contrasted his 24 karat eyes. His skin was very pale, a lot like Perseus', and spider webs of blue veins could be seen slithering up his arms and legs, though for some reason it looked a lot less revolting on Orion than on the other demon. His fingernails were long and mildly pointed at the ends, as if he'd filed them to look like that, but if the son of Zeus had learned anything from his encounter with Perseus, they could easily morph into inky black claws that were specifically made to rip and tear human flesh. How lovely. At first glance he was tall and gangly, but when Jason looked closer he saw that it was actually litheness. Orion was built like a runner, with long limbs and rippling muscles that were hidden beneath soft skin. Jason decided that he would be pretty okay if this was Orion, after all.

"Why are you here?" the demon asked, sniffing the air as if to confirm his suspicions about them. "You are of the living." Will and Jason looked to Nico, who was supposed to be the one that was good at talking with dead people, though the son of Hades was looking a bit paler than normal. He stepped forwards, keeping a tight grip on Will's hand by the way his knuckles were turning white, and swallowed hard.

"Are you Orion?" he asked, and Jason wanted to face-palm. _No shit._ He can speak, in English, even, and he doesn't look all that confused. Best of all, he didn't have that vacant look of all the other souls, who were just letting their days breeze by without actually processing what was going on. On top of that, he had claws. So yeah, this was Orion, and the demon confirmed it by smirking and giving a little bow.

"In the flesh," he told them, though his eyes still searched theirs with a wariness that could only be acquainted with a cautious predator. "I'll ask again: What are you doing here?"

Nico worried at his bottom lip with his teeth and shuffled from foot to foot before saying, "We need your help. The demons have been let out of Hell." Orion's muscles seemed to seize all at once and his eyes went wide, which Nico took as a cue to continue. "A demon named Perseus set them loose, and you're the only one that can help us kill them all again." There was a long pause where the demon just stared at them, intelligence that was far greater than any child of Athena's glinting in his eyes, an intelligence that might even surpass Athena herself.

"You're bluffing," he concluded, his expression growing hard as he leapt off of the rock with the grace of a panther pouncing on its prey. The demigods leapt back as he began to pace in front of his den, his brows knitting as his hands worried at the furs wrapped around his waist. "What do you really want? Directions? Guidance? A signature? I'll do anything just to get you three out of my hair."

"I'm serious," Nico insisted, which pulled a very menacing snarl from the demon, but the brave hero continued on, "Chiron told us that you were Artemis' weapon, and that you were the only demon with good in him. Please, we need your help, or this place is going to start getting a hell of a lot more crowded."

"Okay, let's say I believe you. Why would I go and slaughter my own brothers and sisters _again?_ After killing them once before? They weren't close to me, but they still were my kin, and I had to _kill them all_." Orion's shoulders were heaving and his eyes became wild, his face contorted into a nasty grimace that showed off his serrated canines.

"Because the world is in trouble," Jason cut in, and he felt his heart stutter as the demon whirled to face him, though he soldiered on, "Demons are out for revenge now, and they're willing to topple the balance in order to get what they want. I'm talking the entirety of the human race either dead or used as personal blood bags. Men, women, and children alike all forced to serve under a higher species, and Perseus managed to make the gods swear on the Styx not to intervene. There's no safety net now." Orion swallowed hard and continued his pacing.

"But Hades will never let me leave!" he growled, though he sounded as if he couldn't care less what the god thought. It was more of an excuse than anything else, really.

"He's my dad. I can pull a few strings," Nico replied seriously, "And when it comes to saving the world, he's willing to lose a few souls if it means the underworld doesn't become overcrowded. He _hates_ when he has more responsibilities."

"But I need the Hunters of Artemis by my side! I can't hunt without them!" Orion insisted, becoming a bit more worried by the second; the loopholes and excuses were becoming scarcer and scarcer by the moment.

Jason felt a glow of smug pride when he piped up, "My sister is the leader of the Hunters. I can get them over here, and they'll want to kick some demon ass after Perseus captured Artemis and used her as a bargaining chip." Orion's eyes suddenly ignited with rage, and he let out a low sound that was a much softer version of a bellow, but it still shook the ground underneath the demigod's feet. After a long moment of consideration, the demon turned to them, and suddenly he looked so much smaller, so much more…human.

"I'll do it," he said, straightening. "Where do I start?"


	21. Vade, Satana

**(A/N) Sorry bout the long update I had to finish another fanfiction. But now it gives me more time to write this one!**

 **Disclaimer: ME NO OWN PJO**

It was a beautiful night. The stars glared down from overhead, their fiery bodies twinkling as they regarded Perseus with distain from their thrones in the heavens. The sky in which they resided spread before him, a tarp that smothered everything in a navy so dark that it was almost black, and it was a much-needed reprieve from the brightness of the day that Perseus despised. It was incredibly clear up in these peaks, with little to nonexistent light pollution from putrid mortal cities, and he could see the other arm of the Milky Way, its cloudy form mesmerizing to say the least. He and Alpheus had settled down in the Rocky Mountains, in an area that was reclusive enough that mortals wouldn't wander in and disrupt them, but close enough to civilization that it would be no bother at all to go out for a snack or two.

They'd stolen their large and cozy den from the unsuspecting black bear that'd made it, though its hide, along with countless others, served as the very comfortable bedding that the two demons slept on. It was settled under a gigantic tree whose diameter had to be at least five feet across, and the gnarled and spindly roots are what kept the dirt walls tightly packed and resistant to rain damage, which, needless to say, was a plus. That's not the point, though, because Perseus was a big fan off small and homey; he would've preferred to be squashed in a small space with Alfie and curl up next to him to share their nearly nonexistent body heat. Their current burrow was too large for Perseus' tastes, with his brother's furs and pelts being too far away, and he wished that Alfie acted like the younger brother he appeared to be; with his five-year-old form, the demon seemed too vulnerable, and Perseus wanted to snuggle like how normal littermates did. He was very mature, however, and had been the one that was born first, technically making him older than Perseus. They were not only littermates, but twins, and the demon was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around that.

What Perseus liked most about their warren was the view, and there was really no contest. The tree under which their burrow resided had taken root near the edge of a giant cliff, whose drop was nearly ninety degrees. Unless you were immortal, there was no surviving that plummet towards the ground, and it made the experience all the more exhilarating; Perseus liked to sit at the very edge, his feet dangling over the side, and just watch. Whether it be the cold, unfeeling stars or the miles and miles of sloping forests, Perseus would lean forward to the point where the slightest of breezes would've sent him careening to the ground, and study them with a gaze that was only akin to his brother's. Alpheus teased him for this sentimental behavior, but Perseus had been around on Earth for far longer than he had. There were so many things to discover and just _look at_ , and it filled Perseus with a childlike interest that was unlike his normal demeanor.

Alfie hadn't really spoken of his time in Hell, never revealing to Perseus what his experience there was like and what he'd done during the time looking for his brother. The black-haired demon deemed it understandable, since hell surely wasn't all rainbows and unicorns and nobody would want to relive the horrors there, but at the same time he was burning with curiosity. He'd never been to Hell, their home world, and had been dying to know what lay in the darkest reaches of Tartarus since he'd gone by the name Abaddon. Now that Alfie had visited the place he'd been so eager to learn about, Perseus had to admit that he was a bit irritated that he wasn't being told all the gritty details; after all, his twin brother was well aware of his enthusiasm over the topic. But the demon wouldn't push, wouldn't pry, and he let his brother go on what he called "walks", where his twin would disappear without contact only to return a handful of days, maybe a week or two, later. Perseus supposed that this was his form of a coping mechanism, and even though he missed his brother on those days, he was glad for the alone time. He hoped that bits and pieces of information would be revealed over the infinite amount of time that the two brothers had together, and he was willing to wait for millennia until he finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Stargazing again, brother?" came a reedy voice, high-pitched and innocent.

"Indeed," Perseus replied, not tearing his gaze away from the expanse of mountains and stars that seemed to go on forever.

"What good can come from sitting down and ogling a bunch of balls of fire that are millions and billions of light years away? What's the point?" Alfie asked, and Perseus could almost hear the way he crinkled his nose when he wasn't a fan of something. It brought a small smile to the demon's face, knowing that he wasn't alone, knowing that he was with family that would sacrifice just as much for him as he would for them.

"It sooths my nerves. Like your walks do for you," Perseus told him, "It makes you feel bigger than your body." The sound of bare feet slapping against stone ensued, and pretty soon Alfie was sitting next to him, comparably smaller despite the fact that they were supposed to be identical twins. Perseus spared a glance and saw Alpheus' round face, having not yet shed all of the baby fat, his large, strikingly sea green eyes, and his ruffled black hair that curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. He was purposefully trying not to look at the view, wearing a mischievous grin as he kept his gaze trained on his legs, which he swung back and forth in a childlike manner.

"I enjoy being with you," Alfie announced suddenly, looking up. "I think it's nice to be back together again."

"I think so, too," Perseus replied immediately, his grin practically a mirror of his twin's.

"I missed you when I was…away," Alfie admitted, his expression falling and darkening as he recalled memories that he'd never shared with his brother, and probably would only reveal when all of the scars finally healed. How long that would take, Perseus didn't know. "I was alone for so long."

"You had the rest of our brothers and sisters," the demon cut in, his brows knitting together. "Surely you couldn't've been _that_ lonely, with their presence in your head and their physical forms at your fingertips. I was the last demon that walked the Earth, amd do you know how I knew that?" Alfie shook his head, seeming a bit guilty. "There was silence in my head. Nothing. Just me and my thoughts. It was very…unnerving." Perseus paused, thinking of what else to say as he worried his bottom lip in between his teeth. "I got used to it, though. Befriended a hellhound. Traveled the world. I always had to keep moving in case I was discovered, or worse, my memories caught up to me."

"I apologize," Alfie told him sincerely, putting a reassuring hand on his twin's arm.

"There's no need," a muscle in Perseus' jaw jumped as his expression soured, "It wasn't your fault." He wished he'd spent more time on Orion, wished that, instead of tearing the brute to shreds like he'd done, he killed him slowly. Severed his limbs. Carved out all the unnecessary organs. Poked and prodded and sliced and diced until the traitor was begging for death, which Perseus would dangle out of his reach until he'd had his fun and tossed the bloody and malformed excuse of a demon into the sea where, since he'd be devoid of limbs, he would drown. And rightfully so. He deserved that after he'd mercilessly slaughtered his twin. They'd been partners in crime, them against the world, and they'd had a codependency that had long ago crossed the border into unhealthy territory. Some littermates parted ways, but not them, and those countless centuries had been some of the best that Perseus had ever had. Now they were back to square one, and at times it felt like he was speaking to a stranger. He wondered if Alfie felt the same way.

His thoughts were distracted by the far away sound of a twig snapping and the sound of something that was certainly not an animal. It was at least a mile away, however, an unmistakable scent came along with it. The smell of demigod…and something else. Perseus' stomach dropped like a leaden ball, and judging by Alfie's expression he'd noticed it as well. The demons really couldn't care less about the puny half-immortals, but the stench that joined there's was certainly nothing to brush off.

It was the smell of another demon.

A demon he knew all too well.

-Ω-

Nico had been at the point of "If-you-breathe-the-wrong-way-I-might-have-a-heart-attack-from-fear" ever since Orion had pointed out the gargantuan claw marks in a spruce they'd passed a while back. The five gouges in the bark were deep and practically seamless, as if the wood was made of butter, and that sent the hairs on the back of the demigod's neck standing on end. It didn't help that Orion had informed he, Jason, and Will of the fact that that's how demons marked their territory, and if their pathetic mortal senses could detect it, they'd notice the fact that Perseus and Alpheus' scents were everywhere. Had they been even the slightest bit sane, they would've turned tail and run far, far away, but _no_ , they had to go _towards_ the danger like those stupid white people from the horror movies.

Blood roared in his ears and his heart pounded within his ribcage as he clung to Will, who seemed at least slightly calmer but not by much, and Nico was pretty sure that he was cutting off the circulation in his poor boyfriend's arm. Jason made up for his lack of a partner to cling to with nervous energy. He wrung his hands, skittered at every sound, and was pretty much just an all-around mess, much like Nico at this point. He knew that he had to be strong and battle-hardened, a seasoned warrior and the leader of a great quest, but cowering in fear seemed like a pretty good option to him.

Orion was by far the most cool-headed, and if he was nervous about this confrontation, he didn't show it. His lithe frame picked through the underbrush soundlessly, his intense golden eyes scanning the area with an animal-like wariness, however his expression remained neutral, if not serene. Nico was pretty sure his breathing could be heard from a mile away, and he grit his teeth as he forced himself to calm down. They had Orion. The dude was plenty experienced with killing demons. They were okay. But it was two against one, wasn't it? Surely he was out of practice from his time in the Isles of the Blest? That only triggered a while new cycle of worrying, and judging by the looks on his companions' faces, they were experiencing the same torturous merry-go-round of anxiety.

He tried to comfort himself by watching the eagle machete in the demon's hands swing back and forth, its sinister, serrated blade gleaming in the moonlight that filtered through the foliage. The demon had, during their pit stop at Camp Jupiter for weapons, asked some of the children of Vulcan to inscribe ancient sigils onto the modern-looking blade, telling the demigods that they were characters in a demonic language that spoke of accuracy, good luck, and battle calm.

҉҉ Ӝ ʘ

 _I could really go for some battle calm right now,_ the demigod thought as they trekked through the dense forest. He tried not to take into consideration that, with the three mortals floundering about and making noise, the demons had already been alerted of their arrival. Considering he couldn't see a damn thing and the two opposing demons knew exactly where they were and were perfectly capable of killing them all. Perseus hadn't held out the genocide of the demons just because he sat back and coward; no, he fucking _slaughtered_ the person who was doing the killing, as Orion had informed them, and the fact that he was coming back to threaten him and his brother once more wouldn't really be the best in attempting to make negotiations. Nico now realized belatedly that they shouldn't've been armed to the teeth if they expected Perseus and Alpheus to join them against a huge army, and perhaps they should've brought Gwen and/or Frank, who'd been at least slightly close to him during his stay at Camp Jupiter. All four of the assembled people were threats towards these two demons, and Nico prepared for disaster.

The trees eventually gave way to a large clearing that had a huge river rushing on the far side, its steady roar a bit comforting but not by much, and from the ground sprouted tall grasses, reeds, and a variety of species of wildflowers, all which swayed in the slight breeze. There'd been no wildlife sighted as of yet, probably because of the demons that'd settled in the area, but Nico saw a few hoof and paw prints scattered about the area. Nico had hoped that they'd be the ones to find the demons, but, unsurprisingly, his optimisms shattered when Orion tensed up, holding up a hand and signaling for them to halt. The three demigods froze as if turned to stone by Medusa, and Nico and Will knew a thing or two about what that entailed, considering they'd faced off against her during Nico's first year at Camp Half-Blood.

Orion raised his head, his nostrils flaring, and the moon's rays glanced off of his already pale skin, making it glow a nearly white, and it caused Nico's heart rate to quicken even more. Orion looked a bit more human, since he expressed his emotions and actually had expressions, however the son of Hades was constantly reminded of the fact that this hero wasn't human. That he was of another world that Nico had no intentions of visiting, and it was a bit frightening to say the least. Will rubbed soothing circles into Nico's back, and in return the black-haired demigod gripped his boyfriend's hand tightly in a reassuring gesture, but neither of them were able to battle back the wave of fear that washed over them. They were being hunted right now, and it wasn't really a pleasant feeling.

"Show yourselves," Orion snarled, his pupils slitting like a snake's. "I know you won't believe me when I say this, but I won't attack you if you don't attack us." Jason's shuddering inhale was all that needed to be heard as the group turned in the direction that he was looking. Two pairs of eyes stared at them from the shadows of the tree line, unblinking. Both were a stunning shade of sea green. Both were like a viper's. A low growl ripped through the silence of the forest, and Nico shuddered involuntarily at the sound. Perseus emerged slowly, his shoulders squared as he stalked forwards, eying their weapons with a wary eye. Alpheus remained by the tree line, expressionless, and Nico was pretty sure that five-year-olds weren't supposed to look so…intimidating.

"Why should I believe you?" Perseus questioned. "You've killed my brothers and sisters once before, killed _Alfie_ before. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart like last time."

"There isn't one," Orion replied evenly, all of his calmness and reassurance packed into a single sentence. It would make even the most suborn of people believe him. "But just hear me out." Apparently, Perseus wasn't "people", because he let out a cold laugh that was devoid of any sort of humor whatsoever. His eyes glittered like crystals of aquamarine, only sharper. Alfie seemed a bit anxious, most likely for the safety of his twin, but he made no move to join his brother, still a bit skittish from his last confrontation with the renowned demon.

"I'm not as stupid as you believe me to be, Orion, because the last time we met you told me to hear you out, yes?" the demon questioned, quirking an eyebrow and smiling in an unnerving way. "That didn't go so well, did it?"

"But you're the one who killed me," Orion pointed out, "You're the one who instigated the fight." Every one of his muscles was tensed up, prepared for fight or flight, and Nico could see a clear battle going on under the surface as the demon's thoughts raged. There was a distinct rivalry for Alpha male going on, and neither side wished to back down any time soon, lest the consequence for doing so was death. Perseus paused, brows knit and lips pursed as he thought over Orion's statement, the gears visibly turning in his head.

"You got me there," the demon admitted, though his voice was humorless. "But if you think me stupid and naïve like last time, you're mistaken." Perseus' fingers began to morph into long claws, and Nico could clearly see the outline of his serrated chompers behind his lips. Orion held out a hand to shield the three demigods, who would never admit that they were, indeed, cowering behind their ally, and wielded his machete with the other, whose runes were now glowing with a blazing white light. Nico was pretty sure that they hadn't been glowing before. There was only the sheer look of shock on the demons' faces before the sound of a hunting horn could be heard in the distance.

"You _didn't_ ," Perseus bellowed, lunging, but before his claws could even graze the demon's shoulder, a silver arrow imbedded itself into his shoulder. The green-eyed monster let out a screech that sent Nico's bones rattling and reeled backwards, staggering a bit but not falling. Alfie seemed to overcome his fear of confronting Orion and darted over to steady his twin, his eyes blazing with a raw hatred that could be compared to nothing else, and Nico didn't think that this "negotiation" was going too well.

"I wasn't going to call them," Orion admitted. "But you just had to make things complicated." As he said this, a group of all too familiar girls emerged from the trees, surrounding them on all sides. Their expressions were hard, their eyes glittering in the moonlight (who their patron goddess just so happened to have reign over), and they all had more arrows trained onto the twins, who were beginning to look nervous. The Hunt symbolized one species conquering another, and the demons certainly weren't the species that would do the conquering. Their white wolves were whimpering and cowering behind their masters' legs, which seemed to make the Hunters nervous, but no one who hadn't seen them before would notice. One of the girls stepped forwards, looking no older than sixteen, and Nico immediately recognized the electric blue eyes, which lived on in the eyes of Jason, as well as the tousled black hair. Thalia grinned at them, and she hadn't aged a day. It was a bit unnerving to know that he was older than a girl who he'd always regarded with a big sister sort of feeling, though it must've been far worse for Jason, who was actually blood related.

"Sup?" Thalia asked, acting as if she hadn't been away for months. She regarded Perseus with a look of utter disgust, which was returned in kind as the demon ripped the arrow out of his shoulder with a sickening tearing sound, the wound healing almost immediately afterward, and Nico remembered how he'd captured Artemis as a bargaining chip in exchange for the freedom of his brothers and sisters. "How've you guys been?"

"Peachy," Will replied through gritted teeth, which both Jason and Nico echoed in a similar manner. Thalia quirked an eyebrow, noting the sarcasm, and shrugged a bit, turning back towards the demons, who looked about ready to bolt. The Hunt had caught on to their scent now, however, and there would be no escaping from this moment on without the girls hot in pursuit.

"We should kill you," Thalia told them, "Now that we have Mr. Bruce Banner here." Orion's eyebrows climbed into his hairline and he tilted his head in confusion, having not understood the reference. "But my nut job of a brother, one of my closest friends, and my closest friend's boyfriend seem to think it necessary to talk a bit."

"We don't want to talk," Alpheus bit, eying Orion warily to see if he would make a move. "Who we are and what we do has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, but it does." This time, it was Thalia's turn to snarl, and her words were almost as frigid and menacing as the words that came from the demons' mouths. "You two are creatures, both of…supernatural…nature. Creatures from Tartarus. Creatures from Tartarus that _kill people._ Just an FYI, the Hunters of Artemis hunt exactly that. So, we have our best hunter back in the ranks that is more than capable of running you to the ground before doing whatever demons do to kill their own kind." Orion flinched at that but didn't comment, however Perseus' gaze locked onto the movement.

"Listen," Jason announced, stepping forwards, sounding much braver than he looked, "we don't want a fight. We just want to talk."

"Yes, we've established that," Perseus snapped, and Nico was taken aback by the demon's, well, _sassiness._ "Get to the good stuff."

"We want you on our side," Will replied, "You, Orion, and Alfie can work together to wipe away the rest of the demons on the Earth. They aren't kind to you, is that right?" Neither demon replied, their expressions dauntingly blank. "If you can help us, you don't have to worry about killing people or about other demons hunting you down."

"What if we don't want your help?" Alfie snapped. "What if we just want to be left alone?"

"Sorry, buddy," Nico cut in, "But your chances of being 'left alone' evaporated as soon as your brother here made that deal with the gods. Now do you want in or not?" Thalia gave him a thumbs-up, grinning, but she seemed to be the only one who was in the smiling mood. There was a period of long silence as the demons regarded one another with a look that clearly stated that they were communicated in some demon-y, telepathic way that humans couldn't perceive, but Orion seemed to be listening intently. His golden eyes, unlike Perseus and Alpheus', were full of an underlying warmth and compassion, and Nico found that the brown-haired demon truly and sincerely felt pity for the two. The son of Hades could get where it was coming from; the twins just wanted to be together after all those years of being separated, after _Orion_ separated them, and now they couldn't even enjoy their reunion in peace. Nico found himself feeling sympathy as well, since he was well-acquainted with the need for solitude, but even considering letting these two off the hook wasn't an option. They needed their help to win this war, a war that could take decades or centuries. They would have to kill demons that strayed from the pack and pick them off one by one, and that would certainly take several mortal lifetimes. This was a big thing that they were asking, he knew, but three sets of hands were better than one, and Orion needed all the help he could get, since there was only so much that non-demons could do.

"Perhaps," Perseus said slowly. "But how do we know you're not going to kill us afterwards? Now there's no Styx promise to bine you to your promise."

"You'll just have to go off of my word," Orion replied, shrugging. "Never trust a demon, but then again, I'm putting my trust in you. You'll just have to reciprocate that trust."

"Seems sketchy," Alpheus grunted.

"I would think so, too," Will scoffed, and Nico smacked him on the arm for opening his mouth. He wasn't helping by agreeing with the demon on this particular viewpoint.

"Give us a bit of time to deliberate," Perseus asked them, his brows knitting.

"We don't have time. Heck, it's the one damn thing we _don't_ have. Make your decision and make it now," Jason demanded, crossing his arms. The blond looked intimidating, with his Imperial gold sword hanging by his hip, but Nico wasn't sure if that was the case for the demons, considering the fact that Jason was physically incapable of killing them, even if they were weaker in strength and speed departments.

"Fine," Alfie ground out, talking over Perseus, whose smothered answer sounded suspiciously like a denial. "But we'll turn you all to minced meat if you try to pull any tricks."

Everyone gulped.


	22. Magister Omnis

**(A/N) The dream part is for MorningGlory17 and for all of you who had questions like theirs.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

 _Perseus could do nothing but run. His feet were bare, and they were getting shredded by twigs, rocks, and gnarled thorns that reached out to him, trying to encase him in a prickly cocoon. He couldn't bother with that, despite the fact that the wounds were throbbing dully and making each step agony for him; he had to protect Alfie. Nothing else mattered at this point. It was just the two of them, land losing him would be losing his other half. He couldn't let that happen. His heart was slamming inside his ribcage, blood roaring in his ears like a bear that was hungry for blood. He clutched Alfie's hand tightly, and his strength was returned by tenfold as his twin looked up at him with round, terrified eyes._

Protect protect protect protect

 _The darkness was singing, with hunting horns and the baying and howling of wolves meshing to create one spine-chilling chorus that rose above the bellow in Perseus' ears. He could hear them gaining, could hear their shouts and calls to one another as they closed in, and Perseus felt as if he was suffocated. Never once had he run so fast, never once had he been the hunted, but now that was all changing as he sprinted through the forest, the low hanging branches leaving scrapes on his arms and face as he plowed through them. These were no ordinary hunters; these were the maidens of the Hunters of Artemis, and even they shouldn't've been able to track and pursue them for this long. The power of the moon goddess pulsed through their veins, and Perseus wanted to scream in his fear. Not once did he believe that he deserved this; he was a demon, and he couldn't help that he ate humans. Sure, he enjoyed it immensely, but it was what he'd been created to do. He felt a single tear streak down his face as he continued to run. He had to keep running. But for how long?_

 _His muscles were growing weary, and at this speed the forest was inevitably going to thin and eventually give way to beach and ocean. He couldn't hold Alfie's hand when swimming, and the Hunters were much faster in the water; they would be caught and slaughtered. He knew why, though; under the reek of the maiden goddess' power and the scents of her hunters, there was the underlying stench of demon. One that was out to kill them. This demon was much faster than them from running with the Hunt, much stronger from hours of training and slaughtering the things that went bump in the night, and he and Alfie were no match for him. Perseus had an idea where this was going, but he didn't dare think about it. Fear was spiking through him, and his breathing was growing ragged._

 _I am afraid._

 _I am afraid._

 _I am afraid._

 _And suddenly Alfie wasn't holding his hand anymore._

 _"_ _Go!" his brother cried, and Perseus was too terrified to disobey. He should've gone back. Should've tried to fight them off with his dying breath. But he kept running, even despite the fact that he glanced back to see the new demon, the one who'd been hunting them, raise a long silver knife over his head as his twin screamed…_

-Ω-

Perseus woke with a screech of terror, and the whole camp was on their toes immediately. He didn't pay them any heed, though, instead groping around until he found Alfie's forearm and pulled his twin brother against him, burying his face into the demon's neck to scent him and make sure he was still real. Still alive. Alfie sent him reassurance and calm thoughts through the link that they shared, showing him that he understood Perseus' nightmares and wished to comfort him. The Hunters of Artemis and the three demigods were beginning to whisper amongst themselves, but the demon couldn't find it in him to care much as he forced his breathing to slow. His heart eventually ceased its frantic beating and his hands stopped shaking, though his palms and his face were still slick with sweat.

He'd had nightmares about the night Alfie had been taken from him, with it being the most recurring terror that plagued his dreams, and no matter how much he told himself that the Hunters couldn't hurt him, that he was immortal, he couldn't make himself stop fearing them. The sight of Orion leaning over his brother with dagger in hand was plastered to the back of his eyelids, and the blaring of the horns and the howling of the wolves plagued him when there was nothing but silence and his thoughts. Now the wild sprint in the forest was past, and instead they were camped out in the same clearing in which they were found, the sound of the grass and flowers rustling an incredibly soothing sound. He and Alfie had refused their own personal tent, as well as the blankets and pillows, and had opted for the ground, where they'd curled up with each other's body heat and slept, however fitfully, through the night. Dawn was fast approaching, the sky streaked with oranges, reds, yellows, and maroons as the familiar navy retreated off to the west. Perseus hated the sunlight, and his skin was already starting to become itchy and irritable, his eyes having to adjust dramatically whenever he opened his eyes.

The tents of the Hunters speckled the landscape, and those who hadn't been roused by Perseus' rude awakening were just beginning to peer out of their quarters, blinking blearily. Those who'd come to see what was the matter had settled down for breakfast that was surprisingly close to the two demons and didn't at all seem like the Hunters were watching them. If you didn't pick up on it, that was sarcasm. These Hunters were so distrustful of any demon aside from their Golden Boy, and they kept trying to nonchalantly glance over when in reality their eyes were darting back and forth between their food and the twins. Perseus would've been amused had their uncooked, skinned rabbits, which were waiting to be put on the spit and roasted, not looked so much like human flesh. He hoped that his stomach didn't growl, because everyone would know what that meant, whether they be Hunters, demigods, or demons.

The only one who was actively guarding them was Orion, and he kept a respectful distance as he watched them, knowing that he was a trigger of sorts for their anger and their fear. At least he was right about something, but his machete gleamed in the early morning light, and Perseus shivered when he noted that either he or Alfie could fall at the hands of that weapon if they took even the slightest misstep. It was always pleasant to be not two yards from the same demon that mercilessly killed your twin brother, who just so happened to be your heart and soul and everything that was happiness to you. As traumatizing as it may be, Perseus had to make sure that he and Alfie's safety was top priority, and at the moment their well-being was threatened mostly by Lilith and their brothers and sisters. Orion was high up there too, and he was in a much closer vicinity, but he was guaranteeing the preservation of their well-being, whereas Lilith didn't bother to hide the fact that she wanted him dead. If she found out he was with Alfie, she'd want Alfie dead, too, and he couldn't have his twin going back to Hell once more. Didn't want that distress leveled upon him another time.

"You okay?" Alfie whispered when the gathering of people finally disbanded and returned to their respective tents, casting wary glances over their shoulders as they did so. Perseus really didn't understand what all the fuss was about; it wasn't like he and Alfie were suddenly going to sacrifice their chance to kill Lilith and live life without having to look over their shoulders just to kill them. They weren't _that_ idiotic.

"M'fine," Perseus replied, feeling another powerful surge of protectiveness towards his twin brother at the sound of his small, level-headed voice. "Just a dream." He could deal without the sheer amount of whispers at the edges of his mind, the words and thoughts of his countless siblings suddenly missing, as long as Alfie remained. He didn't care for the others, didn't care for the way they treated their own flesh and blood, manipulating each other rather than trusting and unifying as equals to create one power. They could rot in hell for all he cared. All he needed was Alfie to be satisfied, and the tender brotherly affection he felt for his twin could compensate for everything else.

"You were squirming a bit before that, whispering my name," Alfie told him, though there was not a single note of judgment in his voice, which was another thing to ass to the list of things that Perseus was grateful for. "It was…that night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing," Perseus assured, though it clearly sounded like he was trying to convince himself of this fact. "It happens a lot."

"Well, let's try to make it stop happening," Alfie prompted, wriggling out of Perseus' arms and sitting up. "You kapeesh?"

"I kapeesh," Perseus grumbled and followed his brother's lead, stretching languidly before tucking his knees against himself.

"Good," Alfie replied. "I just don't want you to just deal with it."

"That's what I've been doing for the past millennia. It's a hard habit to break."

"Apparently," Alfie snorted, though his eyes sparkled with humor. It lifted Perseus' spirits slightly, and he couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He didn't want to jinx them, but maybe this would work out. Maybe.

-Ω-

"What are we going to do now?" Will prompted, uncrossing his arms to place them onto the long table in the meeting tent. There were no chairs, just an oblong piece of oak wood that was sanded to perfection. All of the Hunters of Artemis were crowded at one end, including Orion, and they cast disgusted looks at Perseus and Alpheus. They were cool with Nico and Will, one: because Nico was on very good terms with Artemis, and two: they were gay. Gay men don't go for women, and therefore the only ones who had a chance of flirting with them were the two other demons and Jason. Jason was ruled out because his sister was the head of the Hunters, and if anyone was caught giving them dirty looks she'd probably carve out their spleens with her dagger. That just left Perseus and Alpheus, who were already getting hated on because of their, well, species. Orion was a different story, but Will had to admit that he felt bad for the twins. They'd just wanted to be left at peace, reunited after God knows how long, and now they were being dragged back into the crossfire. And Will thought being a demigod was bad.

Speaking of the two demons, they were sulking in the shadows of the corner, claiming that the huge windows (which were so fucking weird inside of a tent) were making their eyes hurt, and the son of Apollo saw them scratching furiously at their arms, where some pretty annoying-looking rashes were beginning to form. At least they added a bit of color into their complexions. The tent was large enough to comfortably accommodate all of these people, and its ceiling, supported by two beams that were planted in the center of the table, were incredibly high. This was some TARDIS shit here, and Will still really couldn't get over the fact that this tent looked _miniscule_ from the outside. On the walls were mounted heads, all of which had been snarling and whinnying and bleating and snorting as if they were relatives of Seymour at the Big House in Camp Half-Blood. At the moment Will could make out a water buffalo, a wolf, an impala, a bison, a lion, and a bear. Needless to say, all had quieted once the demons had entered and were now tossing their heads and baring their teeth in their distrust, though they didn't dare to vocally protest.

"What we need to do is take out Lilith," Perseus explained. "The whole operation will fall apart if she's gone. She's the one that's keeping demons from killing each other for food, mates, etcetera, and if she's out of the picture the demon population will wheedle down to a manageable size without it taking millions of years."

"That's a good point, but I'm against killing the entirety of the demon race," Orion announced, and everyone turned to him slowly, their expressions ranging from shocked to panicked to furious. This wasn't supposed to happen. Orion was supposed to be the guy that was A-OK with killing family members to save the human race, but now he was saying that he was pro-demon life.

"What?" Nico asked sharply, though he looked a bit nauseous.

"Demons were humans' natural predators. The gods put them there to do just that, because they were beginning to destroy the only planet that they have," Orion snarled, "Now it's even worse, and you're telling me to go against nature _once again_ in order to spare a few lives. Are you humans upset that you're now a part of the food chain once more? Are you upset that you now have to worry about predators like the other animals?" Will had to admit that he didn't have a good response, but he knew that all the demons, except the three standing in this room, had to be killed. Men, women, and children's lives were at stake, and he couldn't just stand by and watch massacres happen. When he voiced these thoughts, he found that the only ones who were nodding along with him were Jason, Nico, and a handful of Hunters.

"Artemis is all about balance," Thalia told them, her face a closed off mask. "And on Earth there isn't balanced. Pretty soon all the rivers will be poisoned, all the trees will be cut down. What then? The gods can fix it, sure, but when they do would they really want to add humans into the equation again?"

"Thals, you're making no sense," Jason ground out through grit teeth. "We're talking about innocent mortals and demigods here. This isn't ancient times!"

"But it was meant to be like that," the leader of the Hunters of Artemis pointed out. "Humans were never supposed to rise up and multiply like this. Now, there are pigs sitting at home with food within an arm's reach. There are idiots because the predators don't pick them off. Just look at what happened with those stupid hover boards that _aren't really hover boards_."

"C'mon, you have to see what we're getting at here. You're talking mass destruction, halving the human population. Thalia there could be _children-_ "

"We get it, Nico," the blue-eyed hunter replied smoothly, and it was beginning to infuriate Will, frustrating him to no end. Did they not care about the human race? Did they not care about life as they know it? Apparently not, considering they're practically timeless; things come and go, but they'll always be the same. Didn't they understand that other things had to change, even though they didn't? "But another genocide would be foolish. Orion is right."

"You were supposed to be on our side!" Will snapped at the golden-eyed demon, who met his angry glare with a measured and even gaze. It would've been better if he'd blown up, Will thought belatedly, because this cool and reserved manner was really getting on his nerves, not to mention that it was a tad bit creepy. "We saved you from the Isles and this is what you give back."

"You wanted a solution to your problem. This is the best solution," Orion replied, sounding neither angry nor indignant. Not even frustration tinged his tone. "I feel the earth deteriorating around me. The air smells of smoke, the plants are wilting, the rivers are getting overflown with toxins. How can you stand for that?"

"You're all sounding like a bunch of hippies to me," Jason snorted, but the demigods were beginning to realize that they were losing this battle. All of the Hunters of Artemis who'd been on their side originally were now backing up their comrades, and it was just the three of them against the immortal maidens of the moon goddess and three demons, who, for the first time, were agreeing with each other. The demigods had been the one to start this operation and now it was being ripped from their grasp by the elders, who gave them each a pat on the head and told them 'Good job, we'll take it from here'. It was like Steve Jobs and Apple, only on a catastrophic scale, and this time they wouldn't be getting the operation back.

"Let's take a vote, then," Thalia announced. "All in favor to completely wipe out the demons for the sake of humankind?" Only Jason, Nico, and Will raised their hands, and the son of Apollo felt is stomach sink when nobody else joined in. "All in favor for killing Lilith and allowing nature to take her course from there, providing for every species, human, demon, and animal?" Everyone else raised their hands, and Orion, Perseus, and Alpheus were sharing a look between themselves that clearly stated mutual trust. Hell, the two most sworn enemies in demonkind were going to work together on this, and that only meant terrible things in the near future.

"We're screwed," Will muttered.

"No fucking shit, Sherlock," Nico snapped in reply.


	23. Fallaciae

**(A/N) Having such terrible writer's block on this story I'm sorry.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own PJO**

Thalia had to admit that demons were pretty fucking creepy, and she resigned herself to have a relationship with the monsters like how she had a relationship with spiders; she really hated them and was totally freaked out by them (though not as much as Annabeth was), but they were essential to the food chain, lest mosquitoes, which Thalia hated even more, multiplied. They were the lesser of two evils, really, and in all honesty they were pretty chill. They didn't bother anyone as long as nobody bothered them, but Thalia always had to try and block out the smell of blood and flesh on their breath after a hunt, knowing well that it'd come from people. People with homes and families and children, and perhaps they _were_ the children, though the demons had (reluctantly) agreed to cease hunting youths and pregnant women.

"It's a bit hard to eat what you keep calling 'the ones who won't be missed'," Alfie scoffed during their trek towards demon headquarters, with Perseus firmly leading the entire group. Thalia noted the fact that the demigods were lagging behind, scowling as they muttered to one another, much like the spoiled rich kids at the private schools her mom had always made her attend.

"And why is that?" she asked, and she would be lying if she claimed she wasn't curious. Even though demons were brutal and savage, at least in her eyes, they were far from bland and uninteresting. The entire species was cloaked in shadow and mystery, and she wanted to find out everything she could about them, in case any ones that were spared after Lilith's death went rogue. Were there things that could harm but not kill them? Did they have any weaknesses physically or mentally? She didn't ask them this, though, because it would almost certainly sound like she was plotting their demise.

"The real scum of the earth are hyped up on drugs ninety-nine percent of the time. They taste _awful,_ " Alfie made a face and shivered violently as he recalled the experience. "Their flesh is too chewy and their blood tastes like _cow blood._ " He made a disgusted sound and wrinkled his nose, and despite the fact that it was kind of cute, it was also creepy hearing a little kid talk about how druggies tasted bad if you ate them.

"That should be an anti-drug infomercial," Thalia suggested. In a sullen narrator voice she announced, "Don't do drugs. It can _ruin_ your life and make your blood taste like cow blood." Alfie regarded her quizzically, arching an eyebrow, and Thalia had thought it was pretty funny. Either she was wrong or Alfie had absolutely zero sense of humor, unlike his twin who made jokes about homicide at every opportunity.

"I have no idea what an infomercial is," he stated, hopping over a fallen tree carefully. "Trapped in Hell for several millennia, remember?" Thalia gave him a long look, which he didn't seem to notice as he treaded carefully over the leaves.

Without really thinking, she asked, "What's Hell like?" She immediately regretted her words as Alpheus turned to her sharply, his pupils slitting as his upper lip curled, peeling away to reveal his fangs. "Sorry, it's none of my business."

"Indeed," Alfie replied and paused, staring off into nothing as the gears turned in his head. "But I've never told anyone. Not even Percy." Thalia's eyebrows climbed towards her hairline as the demon confessed this. "He would just get anxious and start treating me different. Like I'm fragile." Percy turned his head to look back, obviously overhearing the conversation, and he and his twin exchanged glares, though the other demon looked resigned, like he knew that Alfie's point was, in fact, a fair one.

"Well, I find it helpful to tell people about your problems so you don't have to shoulder them alone. At least they know what you're going through and can help if something suddenly triggers you," Thalia explained. "Like, my fear is of heights. Kind of odd for a daughter of Zeus, I know, but heights always terrified me." Alfie nodded, still staring straight ahead as they padded through the forest.

"I was always scared of toads and frogs," Thalia saw the amused smirk Percy cast behind him, "They weren't petrified like the other animals when we passed through, and when we lived in Greece they would hop right in front of us and scare me half to death." Thalia laughed out loud, imagining the big, bad demon startled by a harmless amphibian, which only made her laugh even more. Alfie smiled softly, gazing at her with his striking sea green eyes, and she ruffled the kid's hair. He harrumphed slightly, obviously harboring a dislike for being treated like a child, and Thalia found herself warming up to the demon. Of course, this was only supposed to be a business partnership, but what if demons weren't all that bad?

-Ω-

 _People would assume that Hell was scorching. That, because it was so close to Tartarus and Tartarus was blistering hot, that Hell was ever hotter. Someone says "Hell" and immediately red devils with pointy horns and pitchforks come to mind, along with fire, lava lakes, ash, and jagged black rocks. This view is customary, so most shouldn't worry. In fact, it technically is correct if one considered Tartarus Hell, in which the image in mind and the actual thing were almost identical minus the devils. Mortals have free reign to cling to whatever beliefs their puny little minds have, unless they come up with mind control (which is highly unlikely without siren venom in stock), but most of them are, indeed, wrong._

 _Hell was a frozen wasteland, as Alpheus soon found out when he woke up surrounded by white. His fingers were blackened, his nose and ears and toes more or less the same, but despite this they still worked fine as he let out a strangled gasp, clawing in whatever way he thought was up. His talons served as excellent shovels to the icy, packed, bitterly cold mound above him, which he could only assume was snow. He had no air and was starving, his stomach heaving and bellowing as it demanded sustenance, and the snow he carved off the pile above him fell into his nose and eyes. His heart, despite the fact that he was incredibly terrified, thumped sluggishly against his ribcage, chugging along at its own damn pace, thank you very much. Alpheus cursed it as he wriggled his way up the tunnel he was creating for himself, aware of the arctic temperature that probably hovered around absolute zero. Since this was Hell, snow could certainly fall from the sky in freezing little bits of death and destruction in such low temperature. Alpheus dug up until his whole body ached and one of his claws was ripped from his finger, and then, and only then, did he break the surface._

 _He gasped for air, receiving a mouthful of snow in return, and cracked his eyes open. There was nothing but white, only this time a biting wind whipped at his face, stinging him like a swarm of a thousand bees. The snow under him was unlike the closely packed snow under the surface; this was powdery and soft, and Alpheus lay down in it as his sides heaved, ignoring the frigidness. His blackened fingers were only barely clinging to his hand, the dead tissue beginning to spread, and Alpheus knew he had to create shelter where he could heal and perhaps catch something to eat. He opted for army crawling instead of standing. Even though it was cold and slow, walking in itself would be useless; the wind would easily blow him over and would serve to make the trip even icier as he tried to find shelter. Sure, he could always dig a snow hole, but he was wearing a tattered Greek toga that didn't offer much warmth. No, he needed a cave._

 _He sent out a high pitched cry for help, one at a frequency that was too high for mortals to hear, and found that the echo bounced back almost immediately. He was at the base of a mountain. A snow-covered one at that, but still a mountain. He was so overwhelmed with joy that he nearly didn't notice the reply to his SOS, which was far closer than he'd thought. A shadow loomed over him and then two arms were hooking under Alpheus', strong and unyielding. The demon was so exhausted and freezing that he was only mutedly aware of the fact that this demon could, indeed, want to eat him. It would be easy pickings, after all, and there didn't seem to be any other life out in this wasteland. He was dragged for a while, and he managed to get a glimpse of his completely black feet, but his head lolled back as he became dead to the world._

 _He wanted to question the stranger, wanted to ask whether he was a friend or a foe, but his lips were probably coming off too, and his saliva had frozen within his mouth, which didn't really encourage conversation. Besides, even if his voice wasn't the weak rasp he expected it to be, it would've been lost to the wind, no matter how loud he screamed or shouted his words. He was dragged along like a rag doll for quite the amount of time, and now he was even more lost than when he'd first begun, if that was even possible, but thoughts were racing through his head. Could he die in Hell if he was already dead? Would he come back just to be eaten again? How was this demon functioning normally? Had he popped up in a much warmer spot than ten feet below the surface in a subzero grave?_

 _He was pretty sure his eyelids had frozen shut, and he felt like an Alfie popsicle, which made his heart ache when he thought of how his twin would always call himself a Percy-cicle when they'd lived in the Siberian wilderness. A kooky place to live, sure, but it was to get a vacation from the Trojan War, a vacation that Alfie despised. He'd lived in Greece most of his life, and therefore despised the cold. He supposed that that was the reason why his Hell was glacial instead of scorching, and the demon had to admit that he would prefer blistered skin slipping off his bones than this. He was like a Floridian in Canada, only the Floridian happened to be the spawn of the antichrist and the mighty moose god was trying to destroy them with temperatures that were below absolute zero. He would've laughed had he not been subjected to so much discomfort at the moment._

 _The snow turned into stone rather abruptly, and from behind his eyelids he could see red-gold, signaling a light source. From over a huge, engine-like roar, the crackle and popping of a fire could be heard nearby, and the sounds grew louder until he was pretty sure he was lying right next to it. That had to be a safety hazard of some sort, but the warmth was so glorious and blessed that he was too relieved to care. There was a grunting noise as Alfie's savior sat down to his left, crouched close to the flames to catch the heat. The demon was unsure of whether this fire would also be the fire that cooked him, but the demon didn't smell or act ravenous, which made Alfie suspicious but only mutedly. Why would this demon want him around if he didn't want to eat him?_

 _He felt himself unthawing. The sensation came back to his fingers and toes as they were finally given time to heal themselves, and his eyelids defrosted. It was even warm enough for saliva to return to liquid form, and for that Alife was glad. Frozen saliva gave you terrible, terrible brain freeze. He couldn't help but let out a groan, throwing his arm over his face and rejoicing in the way his fingers burned as they warmed up too quickly. His heart was starting to get the memo and began to speed up as Alfie's worries and fears fueled its fire, and eventually the demon was able to sit up and look around._

 _Unsurprisingly, they were in a cave. Deep in a cave. The walls were all stone that'd been worn away by the elements, and even though it wasn't one hundred percent smooth, it was still comfortable enough to lie and sleep on, in Alfie's opinion. What he'd first mistaken as an engine was actually the sound of the wind outside, and when Alfie looked he saw large icicles shielding the cave from the wind, a little gap in the middle that was just large enough for a humanlike creature to be dragged through. Speaking of being dragged, Alfie turned to see a young man hunched by the fire, seeming mesmerized by the dancing and shifting of the flames._

 _His hair was a sandy blond, shot with white that looked so natural it couldn't possibly be highlights, which was odd considering he looked far from old. His hands were callused and riddled with scars, his biceps bulky and his body stocky, which was another commodity for demons, who'd evolved and adapted to look helpless and lure in victims who believed they were stronger. Then again, Alfie wasn't getting the demon vibe from him. He didn't smell right; he wasn't human but he wasn't a demon, either, and he certainly wasn't a Greek creature from the upper levels of Tartarus. No, he was somewhere in between, though Alfie wondered how that was physically possible._

 _His fawn colored eyes looked a bit crazed, and he couldn't seem to keep still as he shifted and fidgeted where he sat, but when Alfie bypassed all that he could see the sheer weight in his gaze, the heaviness that came with seeing so much as they stayed the same while everything around them ceased to stop changing. It was a bit odd and a little vertigo-inducing, Alpheus had to admit, as he watched humans go from hairy primates to at least slightly intelligent life forms that could bilt unimaginable things and accomplish stuff that the demon wouldn't even dream of. The wheel? Genius. Farming? Not really valuable to Alfie but still pretty cool (At least it kept the humans in one place so they could pick them off more easily)._

 _"_ _Who are you?" the demon asked cautiously. Warily. He wasn't sure if this unknown creature was a friend or a foe, and he had to keep his guard up until he was absolutely sure that he wasn't in danger. This stranger did save him, though, but he could've just done so for easy pickings. If that somewhat manic glint in his eye, Alpheus shouldn't relax any time soon._

 _"_ _My name is Cain," he replied, his voice deep and rich. He'd be a teenage heartthrob had he not seemed so…jittery._

 _"_ _Cain?" Alpheus asked, puzzled and well aware that all myths were true, even the Christian ones. "I find that hard to believe." He'd always thought that Cain had turned into a middle-aged man with grey, receding hair, crooked teeth, and a cockeye after he'd killed Abel. Which he was totally, one hundred percent against. Litter mate murder? He was so not in. Even when humans killed their brothers and sisters he found it revolting. Sure, if they were related to you but not your litter mate, he could see that, but if they were born of the same mother they shouldn't be at each other's throats. You might as well work together towards your goals instead of butting heads and getting nowhere._

 _"_ _That's understandable," Cain replied shortly. "But you do realize that I smell different, right? That I'm human…ish." Alpheus was more on guard than he'd been before, knowing that this guy was a notorious killing machine, but he was pretty sure he was forgetting something. Something important…_

 _Never mind. He was pretty sure he'd seen a frozen, dead forest nearby, which explains the lumber, and perhaps there'd be animals in there to hunt. He didn't need this so-called Cain, who probably wasn't the real thing at all. Without warning Alfie leapt at him, his talons extended and his teeth bared, but let out a howl of pain when two sets of claw marks suddenly imbedded themselves into his sides. He hissed and spat, writhing on the floor in his agony as his wounds stung and burned, but Cain either didn't notice or didn't care as he continued to stare, entranced, at the fire._

 _"_ _You shouldn't've done that," he mumbled, rocking back and forth a little as his eyes remained transfixed on the flames. Alfie let out another pained cry, and then his wounds began to heal, closing up much slower than usual. As soon as the bleeding stopped, the demon leaped to his feet, a low snarl rumbling from his throat that Cain ignored completely, instead opting to feed more sticks to the blaze._

 _"_ _What just happened?!" he bellowed and circled around the fire and the one tending it, wary of approaching after the event that just occurred. "Did you attack me?" For the first time, Cain smirked, chucking a bit to himself._

 _"_ _No, but_ you _attacked_ me _," he replied, which was very cryptic and had Alfie becoming more frustrated than before. He didn't need this mysterious and obscure Oracle bullshit, he needed answers, and not just about the failed attempt to kill him. He also wanted to know where they were, what they had to do, and how they had to do it. Were there other demons around or was it just Cain? How can Alfie navigate Hell? Was this even Hell? Cain finally rose to his feet, for once ignoring the fire, and turned to face the demon who balked a bit and growled, though he was more anxious than angry._

 _"_ _What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded huffily, though he cursed himself for the slightly nervous edge to his voice._

 _"_ _It means that I still have the Mark that God bestowed upon me. The one that protects me and keeps me from perishing in this place," Cain replied evenly, and Alfie wanted to slap himself for it. He should've remembered the Mark of Cain, the one that was depicted in so many ways but all meant the same thing; Cain couldn't die, and any harm done do him would be returned to the harmer by tenfold._

 _"_ _What do you want? Why did you save me?"_

 _"_ _So many questions."_

 _"_ _Answer them."_

 _"_ _My, my," Cain tutted, his eyes growing sharper. Deadlier. "What manners you have." He looked more like a killing machine now than a crazed lunatic, and it set Alfie on edge. Cain was more powerful than Alfie, and had been down her for much longer. Even though Alfie could survive the basics, he couldn't get anywhere without Cain's help, and the man seemed to know this, for he grinned rather sadistically "Now, first I'm going to talk and then you can ask your little questions. Got it?" The demon paused but then slowly nodded, though reluctantly. His trust for Cain had dropped into the negatives, and every muscle was tensed to run, though the exit was being blocked my Mr. Fratricide himself._

 _"_ _Good," Cain replied, all too cheerily, clapping his hands together. "You see, my problem is that I don't belong in Hell. I'm human, but the mark that God has given me says otherwise. Obviously, the dynamics of the Earth would respond to the man upstairs' verdict rather than mine, so when my house fell upon me and killed me with the same stone I used to kill my brother, I went straight down here rather than to the Underworld for a chance at a happy afterlife. At least could've gone to Asphodel, knowing my misdeeds would land me in Punishment, but that place is considered lenient compared to this arctic misery." Cain gestured around, scowling. "Demons steer clear usually, but the problem is that I can't kill them unless they attack me and the Mark does its job, and they'd rather jump off a cliff than do that, so I need a demon to be my…partner in crime."_

 _"_ _Like hell," Alpheus snapped._

 _"_ _Darling, you're_ in _Hell," Cain ground out through gritted teeth. "The Mark gives me visions, little glimpses of the future, and I can piece together the fact that there will be a rapture. All the demons will be freed from Hell, but not all its inhabitants." The father of murder laughed bitterly. "So I'll be down here while you guys frolic up there, good as new. So I need you to do a little something for me, and I already talked to your Mother so it's all good…"_

 _Alpheus leaned in as he was told what he had to do, and he had to admit, it sounded fine to him._


	24. Hostis Humanae

**(A/N) I'm not even going to bother to make up an excuse anymore.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PJO**

Jason was fuming, and he was pretty sure Nico and Will's moods were mirroring his at this point. The demons and the Hunters of Artemis had kicked them out of the meeting tent to discuss "important matters" that no doubt had to do with their plan to storm demon headquarters and kill Lilith. They were a part of this operation, too! Heck, they'd _started_ this operation, and he was feeling very betrayed at the moment. Of course, it was expected that the demons take control since they were the ones who were going to do the killing, but the Hunters felt like they had some special privilege because they hunted with Orion for a few millennia. Well, those days were over. It was supposed to be _their_ turn, and it's not like Jason didn't love sitting back and having all the work done for him, it's just that he wasn't used to it after a long expanse of time where he was the one who was issuing orders, not receiving them. Sure, it taught him a bit of humility, but he didn't appreciate the mutiny and takeover of his ship.

Will and Nico were speaking quietly to each other in hushed tones, and Jason's heart ached when he thought of his girlfriend back home. Both camps had been informed of the fact that the Hunters of Artemis were now getting involved, and as usual the gods stayed silent, but Piper was probably incredibly worried. She'd probably go to Annabeth, one of her best girl-friends aside from Hazel, and speak of her woes, and Jason couldn't even Iris message her and tell her he was okay; the demons had informed them that their kind could pick up on traces of organic magic, which was magic created by a living being and not magic infused into objects and stuff, and their cover would be blown if they decided to use even the slightest bit of their mojo for stuff. So now the demigods were powerless, too. What a fan-fucking-tastic situation.

They'd settled in a heavily wooded area, the boughs of the trees so clustered together that the tents barely fit in between them, and the demigods had been rebellious enough to refuse to sleep in tents, considering the mild temperature and the clear weather. Thalia had rolled her eyes, and Jason knew that they were like children throwing a temper tantrum because a dangerous object had been taken out of their hands, but he didn't care. As far as he knew, this operation was still _theirs_ and the Hunters were just supposed to be along for the ride. The demons could lead a little, of course, but they couldn't suddenly decide that this was a dictatorship. Seriously, they decided _everything_ and the Hunters willingly went along with it! They decided when to set off, when to stop and set up camp, and where everything had to go. Considering they were demons and didn't need rest like mortals did, and neither did Hunters, the journey was grueling for the three haggard demigods, who were constantly being chided to keep up as they trekked for miles at a time on only four hours of sleep.

The shadows under Nico's eyes were more pronounced than usual, starting to act more grouchy and reserved like the boy he'd been before Will had arrived; moody, snappish, and unapproachable. Jason had heard the hero's tales more than once, and it never ceased to amaze him that such an insecure son of Hades could accomplish so much. The only problem was that he drew from Will; Will was his backbone and his everything, and Nico reflected the son of Apollo almost identically. At the moment, Will was starting to look a lot less like All-American Sunshine Boy and more like Feed Me Coffee Now or I'll Collapse College Student. His eyes were constantly drooping, and he nodded off on Nico's shoulder more often than not. It was great that they traveled mostly by day, where his father's power made him stronger, but even the sun power from Apollo couldn't keep poor Will from being dead on his feet. Nico could withstand the strain, having gone through periods like this where he wouldn't sleep for a week on end, but Will was less prepared, since he insisted on eight hours of sleep every night like a normal doctor would.

Jason found that he should probably catch some shut-eye before the meeting, which could last ten minutes or five hours, disbanded. It'd get him through the journey ahead, though the demons have been very vague on the exact location of the headquarters. Was it so nobody could find it again and attempt to kill the demons that they planned to let survive? Jason had no idea. Demons were so secretive, and that's why the son of Zeus trusted them just about as much as he trusted a frothing raccoon with a sign that said "pet me". He snuggled deeper into his sleeping bag, which, to his disgust, had been provided by the Hunters. Jason had assumed they'd be staying at hotels, but _no._ They had to hike for miles until they had callouses on their feet and their legs might as well be made out of Jell-O.

Nico had suggested calling upon Blackjack to take them there, and Jason felt that he could use a good ride on his old pal Tempest, but the demons had adamantly refused. Pegasi were like French fried to demons; they polished off their hamburger (which just so happened to consist of human) perfectly and were best served fresh. Tempest had organic magic, so he was off the list as well, so all that was left was dealing with the walking. Jason had incredible doubt that the headquarters didn't have a road going to it, and he would flip his shit if he found out that they could've driven there in ten hours instead of ten days. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he knew it was enough time to get his friends back at the camps worried. He missed Piper so much…

The son of Zeus was just on the cusp of sleep when someone shook his shoulder, dissipating the fog of sleep that'd just settled over his mind.

"What?!" he snapped without opening his eyes, turning away from the perpetrator who was trying to pry him away from his much-needed sleep. They may be immortals, but he was still part human and therefore needed his four hours. If he was disturbed, he'd fucking stab a bitch, but there were no knives in his vicinity to stab them with, which he noted was a huge issue. If he'd instead been awoken by Lilith tearing into his abdomen and eating his small intestine, then he'd be less than prepared to ward her off. Not like he could kill her or anything.

"This is a matter of great importance," Orion's voice urged, and Jason cracked open one eye to see the demon's golden eyes staring back at him, like sunlight filtering through fine whiskey. They were quite beautiful when his pupils weren't slit like a snake's. "Your and the other demigods' presence has been requested."

"I don't want to get up," Jason grunted. "I'm exhausted."

"And we understand," Orion assured, grinning. "We know that you mortals have limits, and that's why we're taking breaks." He seemed satisfied, proud, even, of his work in analyzing those who only have a set lifespan. Despite the obvious amusement that was supposed to go along with the demon's 'Did you see that did I do well wasn't it awesome I'm so smart look I know stuff about humans' expression, Jason, couldn't summon the energy to be anything but pissy at him.

"I get four hours of sleep every night, buddy," the son of Zeus snarled through clenched teeth, his eyes narrowing. "I can barely manage to stand every morning, much less hike a bazillion miles. To put it into perspective, I'm supposed to be getting eight hours of sleep. I get half that." Orion seemed astonished, as if he wasn't aware of the fact that the demigods had been incredibly bone-tired for most of the expedition, and that they would be weary for whatever long-distance travel was to come. He either was completely oblivious to the mortals' suffering or had ignored it altogether. Judging from the shocked look on the demon's face, Jason was leaning towards the former.

"Perhaps we can help you with this predicament," the demon suggested, tilting his head to the side in a way that could only be classified as a confused kitten. Or panther, depending on whether you saw the predatory glint in his eyes. "I'm pretty sure Perseus and Alpheus would show sympathy if I told you of the predicament."

"So we'll get to sleep more?" Jason asked eagerly, glancing back at Will and Nico, who were snoring softly, spooning in the jumbo sleeping bag as they seized the opportunity for rest. For the record, Jason _knew it_ ; Nico was the little spoon.

"Of course not, that's preposterous!" Orion guffawed as if Jason had just told the funniest joke ever. The demigod's heart sank, and the demon struggled to explain as he saw the son of Zeus' hopeful expression fall and turn bitter, "We're already low on time. It's the only thing we don't have. If we start slacking now we won't be able to make it to the headquarters in time."

"It's not like all the humans are gonna disappear overnight, Orion, we can go slow," Jason pleaded, his eyelids feeling as if they were made of lead as he forced them to open. His mind was a haze, and he was seeing double as he struggled to stay out of sleep's clutches. It was difficult, considering his body screamed for him to run over and give sleep a huge bear hug, but he needed to try and sway Orion's opinion. They needed to slow down or else the demigods wouldn't have enough strength to fight later, and that was a problem.

"Yes, but the longer we wait, the more families that die," Orion replied, his brow furrowing with worry. "The more children that are slaughtered at the hands of my brothers and sisters. The more men and women slain like cattle."

"You do have a point," Jason groaned, and he knew that he couldn't argue with the demon's logic. Demons were incredibly intelligent creatures, almost as intelligent as they were secretive (which was saying a lot), and they'd probably considered all the strategies from every possible angle already, seeing through the eyes of their enemies because they knew them so well. Jason hated to say it, but without them they'd be dead ten times over, and the son of Zeus hated being indebted to creatures like these.

"You should get some rest," Orion commanded. "You need it. The meetings will have to continue without you three, and we'll fill you in tomorrow on the game plan. I'll also try and convince Perseus and Alpheus to help me help you."

"How?" Jason asked, but now that he'd been given permission to sleep he was already slipping under. He couldn't've resisted it if he tried, and as he submerged into the blissful darkness he completely forgot that his question, which had been very important, had gone unanswered.

-Ω-

Jason was, again, rudely awakened by someone, and once again he wished that he had his Imperial Gold sword nearby to stab them. Alas, he'd left it by his backpack so he didn't accidentally shish-kebab himself while he was sleeping. He somehow felt even more tired than he had when he'd drifted off, and he wanted to sob with all the hours of precious rest he was losing. He groaned and sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes and blinking blearily. He saw the normal commotion of the camp in the morning as things were packed up and supplies were counted, and the aroma of bacon made his stomach let out a persistent growl. It'd have to wait, though, because right now he was faced with Perseus, and he did _not_ look very happy.

"Get up," he grouched, and the demon might as well be the one who was suffering from sleep-deprivation. He looked irritated but not livid, which was a good sign, and most of that irritation didn't seem to be directed at Jason. "We gotta go, and I have to help you since your mortal ass has to sleep and whatnot." He extended his hand, though he didn't seem too thrilled about it.

" _You_ have to sleep," Jason pointed out as he took the outstretched hand and allowed Perseus to haul him up with astounding strength. "At least…sometimes."

"Yes. 'Sometimes' being the key word in that sentence," the demon replied and motioned for the demigod to follow. He saw that Nico and Will's sleeping bag was gone, having been packed, and he wondered if they'd been woken up earlier because they'd fallen asleep earlier. That certainly wasn't a good situation for them, but Jason really was too tired to dwell on it. To keep from nodding off mid-step, he concentrated on the nature around them, which was actually quite beautiful. Even though the forest was dead quiet, all the birds either gone or petrified into silence, the branches danced lazily in the slight, gentle breeze, causing the leaves to rustle soothingly. The dried leaves and twigs crackling underfoot kept Jason alert as he tried to keep himself from face-planting into the ground and falling asleep forever.

Jason grabbed breakfast from the dining tent, which was always the last tent to be packed up, and made off with an apple, a granola bar, and a slice of bread, all of which he gobbled down as if he hadn't seen food in days. Perseus gave him a look that clearly stated that he was disgusted at how much food Jason had managed to eat in such a short time frame, but he couldn't comment because he ate humans. There'd been no coffee to serve, considering most of the immortal huntresses were forever young and hadn't acquired the taste for the caffeinated drink yet. They never would, considering their predicament, and Jason felt at a loss, desperately needing his coffee and not receiving it.

"So, I understand that you're tired," Perseus began as he led him farther away from the camp. Jason felt like he should be suspicious, vaguely remembering the meeting he had with Orion last night, but it didn't really matter to his exhaustion-fogged brain.

"Understatement," Jason scoffed, guzzling the bottle of water he'd snagged as well and tossing the empty container into the recycling bin the Hunters carried around with them (Since their patron goddess was the goddess of nature and animals, they were almost as severe environmentalists as they were feminists).

"So that piece of shit Orion politely asked me with an underlying threat that he'd rip out my heart and feed it to me if I denied," Perseus scowled at the memory, "to let you ride on my back for the next few legs of the trip. We have a long road ahead, so it's only fair that you three rest up for the final battle."

"Ride on your back?" Jason asked incredulously. "Are you giving me a piggy-back ride or something? Carrying me bridal style?"

"No," Perseus replied seriously. "You're going to ride on my back."

"Dude, you stand on two legs."

"But my true form doesn't."

Jason nearly threw up his breakfast as he looked to the demon sharply, very much awake now (who was he kidding, he was still fucking tired), "Your true form? Won't my eyeballs, I dunno, burn out of my sockets if I lay eyes on you?"

"Only during the transition," Perseus replied as he rubbed the back of his head almost…sheepishly. "It's not really my 'true form'. It's just the form I'd take on if I didn't manifest as a human."

"And you can switch between these forms any time you want?" Jason spluttered. "Is that what we saw in the security footages when you murdered that Roman piolet?" The demon flinched a bit but shook his head.

"No, that was just some clever Mist manipulation and cinematography. Trust me, if we reveled our true forms on that tape for real you guys wouldn't've sought Alfie and I out," Perseus looked to the, ground, wringing his hands and shuffling a bit. "We're kind of ugly."

"Don't worry, I've probably seen worse," Jason assured him, but he sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Demons were the epiphany of sin and corruptness, born and raised in the darkness where they hunted. Would their true forms be more gruesome than anything Jason had ever seen? How was he sure that it wouldn't, indeed, burn Jason's eyeballs out?

"So, can I nap on your back?" he asked, and suddenly this whole true form thing seemed like a really good idea. As long as Perseus wasn't covered in spikes, Jason could probably fall asleep. Heck, he managed to fall asleep on a giant metal dragon during his first quest with Piper and Leo. He was pretty sure he could handle whatever this demon was going to throw at him.

"Sure," Percy replied with a nonchalant shrug, but his eyes gleamed with something that Jason couldn't identify. "But…" he hesitated as he found a decent-sized space amongst the trees, the sunlight making his mussed black hair gleam like oil, "…promise not to laugh. I'm hideous."

"Hey, man, I won't judge," Jason replied, turning away from the demon so he could have a little privacy with his transformation. It could've also been because Jason liked his eyesight, no matter how dismal, and wished to keep it. He couldn't keep it if his eyeballs were set on fire. If gazing upon Perseus' true, true form was anything like staring at Hera's, it wasn't going to be pretty, and his heart fluttered in his chest to remind him that yes, he was mortal, and he was going to be standing near something that mortals weren't supposed to be around. The story of his fucking life. A bright light emanated from behind the demigod, and he heard the gruesome and painful sound of bones snapping and rearranging themselves, of limbs shifting and muscles tearing and growing. Jason would never admit that he winced once or twice during the process when he heard a particularly loud crack or a notable ripping sound. Gods apparently had an easier time switching over, and it seemed like forever when the glow began to fade until it dissipated into nothing.

"You done?" Jason asked, looking over his shoulder with his eyes screwed tightly shut. Just because the bright light was gone didn't mean that Perseus wasn't done shifting, and the demigod heard the leaves cracking as the demon shifted nervously.

"Yeah," he said quietly, and for the first time he sounded shy. Vulnerable. Jason wondered how many people Perseus had shown his true form. He could probably count it on one hand. "Please don't laugh."

"I told you I wasn't going to laugh," Jason replied and allowed himself to look, despite the fact that the blood was roaring in his ears and his heart was pounding in his chest.

To say his jaw dropped to the floor would be an understatement.

"I know, I know. I'm one fugly son of a bitch," Perseus sighed, sounding defeated.

"No, no, no…" Jason whispered as his mouth and throat went as dry as a desert. His legs moved of their own volition as he slowly approached Perseus. Only…not. "You're beautiful."

Needless to say, Jason hadn't expected this one bit. He'd figured there'd be spines, drool, pulsing sacs of venom and mucus, slime, darkness, dreariness, coarse hair, huge teeth, claws, and basically what someone would assume a being of chaos would look like. That wasn't the case. The creature in front of him was gorgeous, and Jason had to admit that he was jealous that something could look so inhuman and still be more attractive than every male model combined.

Its body was lean but muscular, shaped vaguely like a panther's, and Jason could see the power packed into the corded muscles that were currently taught in Perseus' shy wariness. His tail was long and whip like, at least eight feet long and curling in the demon's nervousness, and it had a wispy plume at the end like a lion's, only much longer. It rippled even though the wind had stopped. Jason reached out his hand and Perseus hesitantly placed his tail into Jason's open palm, and the demigod gawked as a vague sensation ghosted over his palms, like the plume was an opaque wisp of mist. Perseus chuckled, a sound like a cat purring, and Jason couldn't help but grin as the demon sat back on his haunches, drawing his tail away only to flick Jason in the head with it.

"Stop that," Jason ordered, but his voice was filled with amusement as Perseus continued to harass him, flicking him over and over and drawing his tail back with lightning speed before Jason could catch it. The demigod noted that his feet were mismatched, with his front legs ending in cloven hooves and its back legs ending in paws the size of dinner plates, with long, obsidian black claws to match. Jason tried not to feel intimidated but failed miserably. He finally managed to catch Perseus' tail, and the demon let out a snort as the demigod felt the fine layer of fur that covered the thin, whip-like appendage. It was short and sleek, colored a stunning Aegean blue, and was soft to the touch. Jason really needed to get a mattress stuffed with this, though he knew it was too weird to ask. He was studying the tail when something else hit him, and he released it in his astonishment, looking up to see two sets of huge, bat-like wings, whose flesh was colored similarly to the fur. The pair that was farther down Perseus' back was about half the size of the man ones, which were so huge that they could make a Hunter of Artemis tent no problem individually.

"You really like hitting me, don't you?"

"It's high on my list of things I enjoy," Perseus mused, his voice sounding like three tones harmonizing. That made sense, considering he had three heads. Jason felt footed to the spot as glowing sea green eyes bored into him critically, two minor ones flanking the main head. On its right shoulder was a zebra head, who boasted six eyes, three on each side, and whose stripes were the color of the fur on the body. On the left shoulder, Jason realized belatedly, was a dragon head. It was sleeker than your average bulky dragon, its face more snakelike than anything else, and its scales glittered in the sunlight. Horns wreathed in his head in an elegant crown, and a forked tongue flicked in and out. Jason was probably rambling, but the main head was gorgeous. It was a panther head, with curved ram horns curling around its temples and spiral antelope horns sprouting from its forehead.

"So, you going to get on or what?" Perseus asked, and only the lips of the panther moved, though the two other heads moved around and blinked like they were their own individuals. "We don't have all day."

"O-okay," Jason stammered and staggered over as Perseus bowed, allowing him to clamber onto his enormous back. There were no handles or anything, and he was slotted in between his two sets of wings, so he just lay down and hugged the demon for dear life as he rose to his feet. The fur, understandably, was very comfortable, and Jason wanted to pass out to the rhythmic beating of the demon's…hearts?

"Dude, how many hearts do you have?"

"Four," Perseus replied as he padded through the trees, his footsteps silent as they rejoined the Hunters of Artemis, all who gawked at the sight of him. "For a body like this, one heart wouldn't be able to sustain me." The Hunters set a fast pace as they darted through the trees, and Jason felt the flexing, pulling, stretching, and bunching of Perseus' muscles as he folded his wings to his sides and bounded after them. "Now that we don't have to wait for you three, we can be as fast as we want and go for days at a time."

"That doesn't sound fun," Jason grunted through a mouthful of fur as he found a handhold on the demon's scruff. His grip was white-knuckled, but if the demon was in pain he didn't voice it. "Besides, couldn't you just fly and get there faster?"

"I hate flying," Perseus replied with distain, and Jason was starting to fall asleep to the rhythmic, sleek movements of the demon's body. "I always considered it as Zeus' realm. Not in the millennia I've lived have I never set foot on a plane or have used my wings in a situation other than a dire emergency."

"They must be a nuisance, then," Jason mused, and Perseus grunted in affirmation. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and the demigod raised his head to try and spot Alpheus and Orion. Jason supposed that Alpheus would look exactly like Perseus, since they were twins and all, but Orion was a whole different ballpark. He could look like anything. It was difficult to find them, considering they didn't make any noise and that Perseus' movements, no matter how smooth, made Jason a bit sick with all the constant rocking. He decided to close his eyes for a while, and no sooner did he do that did he lull to sleep.

-Ω-

Nico wasn't having a fun time. For one thing, the demons wouldn't tell him the location of the headquarters and therefore he couldn't just shadow-travel everyone there. Didn't Perseus have a hellhound at his disposal? So they can split the passengers half and half and Nico didn't have to wear himself out. He clung to Orion's long russet fur as they sped through the woods, and he had to admire the demon's beauty. He caught a glimpse of Jason and Perseus earlier, and Orion looked almost identical in body structure, with two sets of bat wings, front hooves and back paws, etcetera. Orion, however, had the main head of a lion, and two side heads of a bear and a goat, with a more dragon-like tail than Perseus'. His eyes glowed gold. As far as Nico knew, Perseus and Alpheus were identical.

He'd slept earlier, and had woken up natural for the first time in what felt like years. He was refreshed alert, and a pick peckish, but he could easily ignore that in favor of watching the Hunters leap and bound through the trees. They were keeping excellent pace with the demons, who were five times larger than they were, and Nico felt a bit jealous of their stamina, speed, and agility. He was getting bore, though; riding a demon's true form got old really fast, even though that particular demon was incredibly sexy even when he had three heads and bat wings.

"So…" he began. "How've you been?"

"Fine, I suppose," Orion replied in his liquid sex voice. It was steady and rich, like a mix of Morgan Freeman and Misha Collins' Castiel voice, which Nico found hard not to drool over. He had a boyfriend, dammit, and he didn't need this embodiment of sin wooing him. Besides, as far as Nico knew, Orion didn't really have the hots for anyone, much less show interest. All the cryptic stuff the demons had revealed about "mates" was hard to piece together, but Nico supposed that mating was either getting married or fucking, and considering what demons were, he was leaning towards the latter.

"Aren't you tired?"

"This has taken a mere morsel of my energy," Orion replied matter-of-factly.

"You've been running for at least eight hours, maybe seven," Nico replied, a bit incredulous. "How are you not tired?"

"It's an adaptation," Orion told him. "Just like how Perseus' short fur is an adaptation."

"What do you mean?" the son of Hades questioned. "What about Alpheus? Doesn't he have short fur?"

"No, even though they're twins. Perseus has lived longer on Earth than any demon, so long that he's actually evolved to have shorter fur, considering…" Orion trailed off, and Nico wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"Considering what?"

"Well, even in the Antarctic, temperatures to not even begin to touch upon the temperatures in Hell. It's a frozen wasteland, as my brothers and sisters have described. The eldest. The ones who were born in Hell and clambered to the surface before the Titans were even a twinkle in Ouranos and Gaea's eyes."

"So you're saying you're adapted for Hell?" Nico asked.

"Indeed," Orion replied. "Alpheus' fur is the closest to normal. My fur has receded over the years in the Isles of the Blest."

"And how long is Alpheus' fur?"

"Very," Orion replied, once again being cryptic.

"He's not a fuzzball, is he? Like an angora rabbit?"

Orion chuckled, "No. Think more like a polar bear."

"Oh…well isn't he boiling, then?"

"He and your boyfriend alike," the demon snorted. "He was the most reluctant to change into his true form, and I suppose he had a good argument. You're like a furnace on my back."

"Well…sorry," Nico replied timidly, hoping he wasn't making Orion too uncomfortable.

"It's quite pleasant, actually."

"Oh. Okay."

"You should get some more sleep," the demon requested. "We should reach the headquarters by sundown, and eight hours isn't going to compensate for the hours you lost."

"You're probably right," Nico grunted, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. It was like the demon could sense his emotions and feelings before they even occurred. He'd have to ask Orion about that later, and with that in mind he drifted back to sleep.

 **(A/N) If you want, you can draw what** ** _you_** **think the true forms look like :) Not sure how you can contact me about it but I'll be sure to give you a shout out.**


	25. Salutis

**(A/N) Sorry about the long update, I hve a lot of schoolwork and other stories to work on.**

 **Disclaimer: I *snap* do *snap* not *snap snap snap* own *snap* PJO**

 **Introducing: Chapter Titles!**

It was only a matter of time before the other demons caught on that they were approaching.

The ragtag team that was almost as diverse as New York City had hunkered down after traveling for three days straight, which left them hovering somewhere around the Canadian border. Even though the foliage on the trees blocked most of it, Will couldn't help but admire the brilliant oranges and pinks that were streaked across the sky like a painting, the sky obtaining a darker hue but not exactly navy yet. The thin clouds hovered this way and that, but otherwise it was clear and cheerful, a beautiful day for anyone who didn't know that a demonic army was planning on slaughtering everyone and their mother, but still nice nonetheless. The demons had been the ones to call it quits, after days of nonstop running for them, and the Hunters of Artemis had grudgingly complied to set up camp. At the moment, the demons were out hunting; Perseus and Alpheus had went off to the nearest mortal village while Orion was content to lope around after deer and other animals.

Needless to say, Will felt exposed. The demons had assured them that if another demon was in their vicinity, they'd certainly know about it before they were even close, but Will couldn't help but wonder if, while on the trail of a potential meal, they would completely disregard their scent, whether it by accident or not. The Hunters and the demigods would all be slaughtered in a bloodbath and the demons would return to a ransacked camp. He shook his head clear, deciding that those thoughts were wandering into territory that he would rather not explore, and hunkered down next to Nico in their shared sleeping bag. They were nestled in between the tangled roots of an oak, the tree leaning over and seeming to shelter them with its branches. Either that or it was trying to cage them in and make a meal out of them.

Will tried to concentrate on falling asleep, even though it wasn't sundown yet, but Nico had passed out almost immediately after Will had crawled in, and the son of Apollo wouldn't want to move and wake him. He didn't really have to sleep, he could always do so on Alpheus' back and do it just as easily as if he were in a sleeping bag, but he kind of wanted to stay with his boyfriend. They seldom saw each other on their separate demonic steeds, and the demons had insisted that they remain apart so that, under dire circumstances if they had to run or fight, they wouldn't be weighed down. The real message was obvious, though: _If one of us is attacked only one of you will die and not two of you._ He didn't want to think of dying and leaving Nico alone, nor could he think vice versa, and he hugged Nico more tightly, as if he'd disappear if he didn't hold on. The son of Hades grumbled a bit in his sleep but didn't wake.

This quest sucked ass, Will soon decided. Even though there was less fighting and more going crazy with anxiety about the impending doom that awaited them, it was beginning to take a toll on him. Sure, Alfie's fur was much thicker than the other demons' and much more plushy and soft, but he didn't like being on his back all day. It was like driving in a car for twenty-four hours straight, only stopping to take a piss and eat, and he was growing increasingly bored. He couldn't see his boyfriend, and more importantly the two of them couldn't go at it without waking up the entire camp, and Nico had absolutely zero exhibition kinks and would clout Will upside the head if they were caught. Will's libido was left unsated, and it didn't help that Nico's back was pressed tightly against the son of Apollo's front in the confines of the sleeping bag. He sighed and brushed away a stray lock of black hair that'd fallen into his lover's eyes, and just took in the sight of him. The wave of overpowering love that slammed into him was absolute in every way, so much that the resolve to marry Nico one day thickened to near indestructibility. As long as Nico was on board, he was going to marry the ever-loving fuck out of his boyfriend if it was the last thing he did.

Almost as soon as felt his eyes drooping, lulling himself to bed with fantasies of white picket fences, two and a half kids, and maybe a dog or two, he was shocked out of the foggy haze of almost-sleep by a deafening bellow. His blood became ice in his veins as he quickly shook Nico awake, his eyes darting around as the Hunters all leapt into action, drawing their bows and arrows and going to investigate. He fumbled for his bow and quiver full of arrows, and Nico seemed to pull his Stygian Iron sword from nowhere as he blinked around blearily. Jason had been woken by the roar, and was stumbling around blindly in search of his glasses. Considering his very much deadly sword flailed around as he did so, Will immediately helped the son of Zeus out before he turned someone into a human shish-kebab on accident.

The three demigods, still half-asleep, staggered after the huntresses, tripping over protruding stones and crafty tree roots as they followed the barking of the wolves and the maidens' calls to one another through the trees. Will felt incredibly lucky that they didn't sprain their ankles in the process, but when they caught up to the Hunters Will's post-sleep haze withdrew so quickly he swore his mind got whiplash. His heart gave a stutter and relocated itself into the son of Apollo's throat, blood roaring in his ears as he tried to shoulder his way through the gathering crowd to get to the middle. Claw marks had marred the surrounding trees, and deep gauges delved into the ground made it easy to stumble, a sign of struggle at least. The metallic tang of blood was sharp in the air, and when he, Nico, and Jason had finally managed to wriggle their way to the front, he was pretty sure his heart stopped at that point.

On the ground was a furry mass, only they _knew_ that furry mass. The russet fur was matted and clumped with blood that was still flowing and fresh, though Will could see the beginnings of it drying and beginning to crust and flake. The delicate membranes of the two sets of wings had been shredded, the glowing white of bones peeking out from where they'd been snapped. Instead of a tail there was just a bloodied stump, and serrated claws had left his flank mangled and one of his heads, the bear one, was missing completely. Thalia was crouched by the body, her expression pinched but portraying nothing, however from knowing the huntress for so long he could see that she was upset. Who wouldn't be?

Orion was dead.

Perseus and Alpheus stood off to the side, gazing forlornly at the disfigured corpse of what had once been their ally, and Will couldn't help but choke on a sob. Orion had been the most kind of all the demons. Nico had taken a particular liking to him, having ridden on his back for most of the journey, and he'd relayed to Will the fantastical stories that the demon had told him on the trip, speaking of monsters beyond one's imagination and blood-pumping hunts through forests that mortals couldn't find, ones that were so big that they made the Siberian wilderness seem pale in comparison. He'd been polite and willing to leave his sanctuary, his haven, in the Isles of the Blest to help the demigods win this war. And look where that got him. Will always knew that demigods had terrible luck, and this was proof of that. Had Orion just stayed where he was in paradise, he would've been safe. Then again, Will recalled how Nico had told him how happy Orion was to be back in the Hunt, how every other sentence was a praise to the huntresses, and at least Will knew he'd died happy. In agony, but happy.

They were allowed to pick their way over to the massive body, still and silent. Will knew that if it'd been Perseus or Alpheus he wouldn't've mourned as much; at least Orion had tried to stay on a no-human diet. These two hadn't even tried, and just a reminder that it was Perseus' fault that this happened at all. If he'd just let the past go it would've made everyone's life so much easier. Alpheus was cold. Reserved. He didn't talk to Will when he was on his back, only carried him because it was absolutely necessary, and was just an all-around creep. At least with his humor and attitude Perseus could pass as a human, but Alpheus was clearly otherworldly. It was unnerving.

"He fought," Thalia said softly, rising to her feet and looking down in disgust at the bloodied stump that'd once been one of Orion's heads. "He was still breathing when we found him." Another girl was with her, Will soon realized, and she was sobbing outwardly, her sides heaving as she cradled Orion's lifeless lion head in her lap, stroking his mane tenderly and closing his blank, unseeing golden eyes. Following the three demigods' questioning glances, she sighed, "That's Imogen. After the battle with the titans and the Giants, the Hunters of Artemis sustained heavy casualties. After Phoebe, Naomi, and Celyn died…she became the last one of the Huntresses who'd hunted with Orion." The Huntress either didn't hear them talking about her or didn't care, too busy whispering nonsense that must've been inside jokes they'd shared between them.

"How many manticores does it take to light a torch? C'mon you know the answer," she choked. Her voice was barely a rasp, "Please."

"They were close." Imogen let out a wail of mourning, burying her face against the demon's. "We should give her some time. She…she talked to him until his heart stopped." Thalia steered them away with a guiding but firm hand, and Will cast one glance back as the Huntress curled up in the crook of Orion's neck and wept.

"How'd he die?" he whispered after a long stretch of silence, despite the fact that they were well out of earshot of everyone else. "I didn't see the…erm…'finishing blow'." Nico and Jason gave him looks that were their ' _Will you're being too insensitive_ ' looks, and the son of Apollo decided to drop it when he saw Thalia's shoulders tense. Orion had bonded with all of the new Hunters easily, including Thalia herself, and if you didn't find him hunting or napping, you found him chatting with the Huntresses. Not flirting with them, not mouthing them or teasing them, but just talking. There were many nights where the whole group surrounded the blazing fire while Orion told his tales of woe, his eyes bright and sparkling as he acted out the whole thing with his hands, as much of an entertainer as he was an incredible storyteller.

"He bled out in a couple of minutes," the daughter of Zeus rasped, and it was clear that she was on the verge of tears. "Severed artery." She sighed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve in her attempt to seem indifferent. "I want to kill the son of a bitch who did it. Orion didn't deserve this." Will could only agree wholeheartedly, and he and the other two demigods exchanged a look.

"Do you have any idea who could've done it?" Jason questioned. "Now we're one demon short. Our chances of winning this become all the more smaller."

"Thanks for your optimism, Jase," Nico snapped, but Will could see how he'd paled, for the first time considering the whole situation. The loss of Orion was the loss of their only trustworthy soldier. For all they knew, Perseus and Alpheus were only being held in line by the older demons' power, and now that they were untethered they'd walk out on them. A chill went up Will's spine at the prospect, and he could only hope that the demons weren't thinking the same thing. They hadn't slaughtered everyone yet, so that was a good sign, but the demons would only be in it if they were benefitting. When Orion was alive, there was the threat of death, but now that there was no one to threaten them, no one that could even make them feel pain, there was a very large chance that they'd back out, considering their odds also dropped by an infinite percent. With no chance of winning, or survival for that matter, why would the demons stick around anyway? Will certainly wouldn't.

They could only pray.

-Ω-

"I have to go," Alfie abruptly said while they were stalking a particularly obese woman walking her even more obese Chihuahua. Perseus gave him an incredulous look, quirking an eyebrow.

"Dude, we're in the middle of something," he grunted, licking his chops as the woman powered along without any care in the world, completely and totally oblivious of two demons eying her from the underbrush as if she were a slab of rare steak. His stomach gave a low growl, and he gave Alfie a pointed look as if to say, " _Even my stomach agrees, asshat_." His twin didn't respond, his expression chilling, and turned on his heel to set off through the trees. Perseus watched him go, turning back to find the woman already rounding the bend. She wasn't worth it, anyway, and he couldn't finish her all by himself, especially with the dog as dessert. He was growing increasingly worried about his brother, per the norm, but there was something to his gait that told Perseus that his twin was a man with a mission. A dangerous and perhaps very, very bad mission. Grudgingly, he settled for a drunken lowlife who nobody would miss, the alcohol in his blood tasting foul as he buried his teeth to the hilt in the man's jugular. After eating his fill and nearly chucking it into a bush, he managed to keep the meal down as he set off towards camp, following his twin's scent.

It was confusing, a tangle of scents and paths his twin took crisscrossing through the forest, and thirty minutes in he still hadn't found the freshest trail. He padded through the forest, growing more panicked by the second; was Alfie back at camp? Then again, he would've caught trace of him. They had to leave, and soon, and Perseus didn't want to leave the Hunters waiting. Otherwise they'd get incredibly pissy, and the measly demigods would back them up without question, considering Perseus was well aware of their mistrust and hatred for him and his twin, though it was never voiced aloud. He found a dead deer that had been felled by Orion earlier, but the demon's scent was stale, which was odd considering the buck was left mostly uneaten. With something as unfulfilling as deer blood, Perseus was almost certain he would've chowed down on every available morsel. What was also odd was the fact that Alfie's scent mingled with Orion's, and that they'd gone off together. What his brother would want with the demon who killed him, Perseus didn't know.

Until he did.

By the time he found his twin, he was already washing the blood away in the stream, watching the water stain red, and Perseus could only shiver at how inhuman he looked. He didn't look like he had any shred of humanity left as he grinned toothily and his eyes slit like a viper's.

-Ω-

"Oh, hello there," Cain chuckled, his eyes sparkling humorlessly. Orion cowered, ignoring the sting of the snow on his blackened fingers. "I see my little attack dog has lived up to the hype." One could see the situation dawning on the demon as his golden eyes gleamed with only a single emotion: fear. He tried to crawl away, but he was too weak, too unused to the bitter cold of Hell. The father of murder grabbed the demon by the collar and spun him around, his shadow falling over him. "We're going to have so much fun."


	26. Humiliare

**(A/N) Writer's. Block. Sucks. I had to update my other story and I had writer's block on that one so it took a long time and now I have writer's block on this one so that's great.**

 **Disclaimers: I do not own PJO**

 _Jason was stumbling across a beach, trying to run from a creature that was unknown to him. It didn't make a sound as he sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him, rendering him unaware of whether it was gaining or falling behind, or even if he was being chased at all. All he could register was overwhelming fear_. _Fear that gripped him like a vice, nearly freezing him in place, and it felt like he was running through Jell-O as he pushed himself further, away from whatever it was he was afraid of. His heard slammed against his ribcage, roaring in his ears and pounding in his temples until they throbbed, and his breathing was ragged as he forced his lungs to work, to take in more air. Yet it still wasn't enough._

 _He sunk into the sand, which slowed him down as he tore across the shores barefoot. Jagged shells cut up his feet and made them sting as sand clung to the wounds, and he couldn't seem to tear himself away from the edge of the water, which loomed next to him like a dark grey mass. It crashed and roared at him, lapping at his ankles and making them bitterly cold, though at least it numbed the pain from the cuts. The sky was starless, and seagulls laughed and cackled at him with human voices, circling and diving down to attack him before retreating back too swiftly for him to swat them away._

 _"_ _You're worthless!" Thalia's voice jeered as a beady-eyed gull clawed at his face and eyes, dancing out of reach before he could strangle it._

 _"_ _You can't even run an operation!" Orion cackled as one of them slashed at his arms with claws that were a bit too much like an eagle's talons for Jason's liking._

 _Jason lunged for one swooping low, but it darted away and made Jason stumble, though he thankfully was able to recover his footing. He didn't want the beast to catch him. "You're toooooo slow!" the bird crowed in Alpheus' voice, flitting away to rejoin the others as they took turns diving at the poor demigod. Was it just him or was he sinking even farther into the sand, now? The stench of the ocean, which was normally pleasant and comforting, filled his nose and overwhelmed his senses until it was sickening, and it made it hard to breathe as he struggled against the seagulls and the sand alike, though he swore he could hear low growls coming from behind him. It all the more fueled his fear. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth from where it'd dribbled in between his lips from cuts on his face, and that, combined with the reek of the ocean, swarmed his senses and made it difficult to even run in s straight line as he began to feel dizzy._

 _The ocean and the sand were having a tug of war with him, and now he was sinking ankle-deep into the ground before being nearly toppled by the increasingly more violent waves trying to pull him towards it. He had slowed to barely even a walk, and he heard his muscles screaming in agony, or was that actually him? He couldn't tell anymore. The sea's murky grey waves were demanding him to come to it, to drag him into its murky depths until his lungs filled with water and he became nothing more than a skeleton whose bones had been picked clean by fish. He was like a cornered animal, crazed and panicked and terrified all at once, and he ceased his running to take a few swings at the seagulls, who laughed and mocked his pitiful attempts to knock them out of the sky._

 _Then one of them, who looked a bit weaker than the rest, circled a bit too close, and Jason was able to grab it. It let out a screech and struggled, but Jason held on tightly, gritting his teeth as it squawked and pummeled him with its wings. Half of his calves were now submerged in the sand, and his thoughts dwelled on Gaea, which made his heart beat so hard he was sure it was going to burst out of his chest. The other seagulls had disappeared, leaving Jason with the weaker bird in his hands, though it had finally stopped struggling and was staring at him with cold black eyes like shards of obsidian._

 _And then he was holding a child in his arms._

 _It was too small to be healthy, too frail, and it cried, reaching out to Jason with meaty little fists. Jason heard the telltale growl of the beast, and he hugged the child against his chest and held its face against his neck as he forced his way out of the sand, which had crawled up to his thighs, putting on a burst of newfound energy. The child continued to cry, and it was so tiny, its heart fluttering against Jason's, and the son of Zeus found tears leaking from his eyes as he cradled the child, who must've been as scared as he was. He was vaguely aware of the fact that it used to be a seagull, but that was background information. All he could think about was getting this child to safety. It still had so much to live for, so much to do and so much to see. He didn't want it to die on this beach, its little body getting sucked into the sand to an earthy grave as it wailed for someone to save it._

 _"_ _It's okay, it's okay," Jason choked as he ran, and he knew that he couldn't do this forever. The baby was somehow getting heavier, weighing him down and making his moves slow and sluggish. If he discarded it he'd be able to run faster, to get away from the beast, but the sand clinging to his feet hardened his resolve. He would carry this child to the end. He felt tears leaking down his cheeks as the baby grew heavier and heavier, nearly impossible to carry as he staggered across the beach, and he had no idea how something this small could be so heavy._

You should just leave it _, said a sick, twisted voice inside of its head._ At least one of you will survive. _He shoved that voice out of his mind as he held the life in his arms. It couldn't've been more than a few hours old, and he continued to cry at the thought of leaving it to get swallowed by the earth, to as sand buried it in a smothering blanket. He couldn't do that. He would die with it. The beast was gaining, and now Jason could hear the sound of heavy hooves and paws landing on the ground. Jason collapsed to his knees. The baby was too heavy. He couldn't carry it and run at the same time._

 _The baby wailed, its tiny little hands burying into Jason's shirt as he hugged it close to his body, cradling it and whispering words of comfort as the beast came closer. Closer. He hoped that it would give both him and the baby a quick death, which was better than the premature burial he was going to experience at the sand's hand. The waves continued to lap at him, though with less ferocity, but it was slowly making him tingly and numb all over as the sand stretched over his knees and began working up his waist. The baby continued to cry, and he pulled it away to see its big, round green eyes. Eyes that were slit like a viper's. It grinned, revealing serrated teeth._

 _"_ _Mommy's home," Perseus giggled as the beast stopped right behind him, its hot breath ghosting over his neck-_

-Ω-

Jason woke up screaming, startling Alpheus, and he nearly flew off of the demon's back as he bucked.

"What on Earth do you think you're doing?" Alpheus hissed coldly after regaining his composure, his tail lashing in agitation and his dragon head turning to bare its teeth at the demigod. The zebra head looked no less thrilled, its ears pinned back as it tossed its head, all six eyes glaring at him.

"Sorry," Jason replied sheepishly, trying to grasp for the strings attached to the retreating memory of the dream. He could make out the smell of the ocean, the screech of seagulls, and the cry of a baby, but that was pretty much it. "Just nightmares." Alpheus scoffed, his two sets of bat wings flapping in his irritation, and the son of Zeus was mildly annoyed at the demon's inability to feel sympathy.

"You do understand that we are nearing the heart of demon territory?" Alpheus snapped. "Something like that could alert the other demons and get us all killed."

"Well it's not my fault," Jason defended, "I can't control what I do in my sleep!"

"You little-"

"Enough, you two!" Perseus snapped, and even though his panther head's gaze stayed locked in front of him, his zebra head gave them a very disapproving glance. "We're close." The demigod and the demon fell silent as they noticed the trees beginning to thin out, the light of the very late afternoon shining dimly through the boughs. Jason inhaled sharply but that was it, and the Hunters all began to shift warily as they approached, unwilling to enter the opening but reluctant to stay behind in the trees, where any number of things could be hiding. Jason dismounted, drawing his sword silently and joining up with Nico and Will, who'd been hitching a ride on Perseus and were now gazing around warily, and approached the edge of the tree line to get a glimpse of the demons' headquarters.

Apparently, it turns out that the entire quest would be one huge anticlimax after another. The cave was dull and unimportant looking, just a decent-sized hole in a cliff wall that would probably house a bear or something, but it only seemed to go five feet deep at the most from the outside. When Perseus announced that it was, indeed, the demons' headquarters, Jason found it quite hard to believe. Other than the huge claw marks that had marked the territory, which they'd passed a couple of days ago, there was absolutely zero sign that anything demonic lived here. The only other demonic activity had been when Orion had been slaughtered in cold blood, the body having been buried and a service held in his memory, and Jason was a little broken up about it but also scared out of his mind that their army of two wasn't enough (which was completely true, but he didn't want to think about it that way).

Since Orion's death, the two demons had been on high alert, never changing out of their true forms, which were swifter, stronger, and deadlier than their human ones. They'd seemed a bit restless, and Perseus had been avoiding his brother like the plague for some odd reason. It wasn't any of Jason's business, but he had to admit that he was at least mildly curious about the demons' family issues. Were they in a fight? Would it inhibit their ability to work together and thus doom them all to become some demon's dinner? The son of Zeus didn't think so. Percy was avoiding him, but he was kind when they did interact, though it was hard to decipher the expressions of their three animal heads.

He still couldn't believe that _this_ was the demons' command center. There were no creepy sounds, no tingly feelings, and certainly no demon sightings. It all screamed "TRAP", but at the moment Jason couldn't find it in himself to care. At least if they died, they would die in a blaze of glory, which was a pretty depressing thought once he really dwelled on it. The Hunters were shifting uncomfortably, not daring to make a sound, but Jason could see the uneasiness written all over their faces as they gazed warily at the gaping maw of the cave, which was looking more sinister by the minute. He didn't dare ask what they were going to do, only waited for Perseus and Alpheus to react, which was pretty damn sad; this entire operation was meant for them to control the demons, harness their powers to lay waste to the rest of their kind, but now the demigods were taking orders from them and some demons were going to walk free from this whole endeavor.

The demons flicked their wispy tails, their six sets of ears flicking and twitching in a silent communication that was awe-inducing and a bit creepy at the same time, considering the deep green eyes of their middle heads were still trained upon the opening. Slowly, they stalked out of the safety of the trees, and when the others started moving to follow they cast disapproving glances back at them. Jason was more than happy to oblige, really, but he didn't think that their biggest weapons should be exposed like that. He didn't dare argue, though. Their huge hooves and paws made zero sound as they treaded across the grass and towards the entrance, and Perseus' panther head reached out and sniffed the opening while the forked tongue of his dragon head flicked in and out, tasting the air.

Alpheus was a bit more tense, his flanks quivering and his tail lashing back and forth as he watched Perseus with three sets of blazing sea green eyes. His long grey fur was bristling, and his panther head licked its chops. Perseus' two sets of bat wings were outstretched in warning and wariness, and all of his heads were focused on the opening as he slowly edged one hoof inside. Jason should've seen the way Alpheus pawed the ground with his hooves, should've seen the way his haunches tensed up, because when he shouted, "Watch out!" and Perseus whirled on him, it was already too late.

A terrifying bellow ripped through the trees as Alpheus leapt on Perseus, whose zebra head shrieked in alarm as they rolled in the grass. It took a moment for everyone to process it, but by the time they all unfroze Alpheus had taken a good chunk out of Perseus' zebra neck, blood gushing forth, showing no sign of healing like it would've done had his attacker been anyone else. They would've come to his aid had another roar not ripped through the trees, with another joining it. Jason slowly let his gaze rise to the top of the cliff, watching slack-jawed as two demons leapt from the edge, landing on the ground silently as the twins writhed on the ground, locked in a heated battle.

They weren't in their true forms, but that didn't make them any less scary. Their pupils were mere slivers and their teeth gleamed in the dying light of day, long talons having grown to replace their fingernails. Then the hairs on the back of everyone's neck stood straight up, the air filled with static, and then lightning arced down from the sky, blinding everyone for only a moment before the two demons staggered, bolts of electricity leaping from their bodies as they collapsed. Jason hadn't expected it to be so effective. That seemed to be the wakeup call for everyone because in a flash they were upon the demons, swarming them like flies. Perseus and Alpheus continued to tear at each other, blasting fire from their dragon heads and clubbing one another with their wings. The wound on Perseus' zebra head was pouring now, blood slathering his right side, and one of Alpheus' smaller wings had been ripped clean off.

The two demons were on their feet now, and the group had unconsciously split up; the Hunters focusing on one while the demigods took the other. Jason knew that they couldn't kill him, only hold him off long enough until Perseus hopefully killed Alpheus and returned to help, and even then there were so many factors that contributed to it, though the odds were clearly stacked against them. This demon was female, her blond hair straight and stringy, and her blue eyes savage and inhuman. She was slight and delicate-looking, but as soon as she lunged at Nico it was clear that she was anything but.

It didn't take long to realize that demons' fighting techniques were like a deadly dance, and the person whose footing fumbled would be the one to die. Jason, Nico, and Will circled her, keeping her tightly boxed in as they warded her away with their weapons, though she didn't seem fazed in the slightest. In fact, she grinned, looking like she was having _fun_ , and it was obvious that she was just toying with them. Jason could only hope that they would last until Perseus came to the rescue, but then again he twinkle in the demon's eyes told him otherwise.

-Ω-

"Why are you doing this?!" Perseus bellowed as his dragon head sunk its teeth into his brother's shoulder, causing the demon to yowl in agony. A hoof clobbered his main head across the face, making him dizzy, and it would've incapacitated him had his two other heads not been very much alert, sending signals and information to his middle head's commanding brain at a mile a second.

"Cain told me that we'd rule together if I did!" Alfie snarled, bludgeoning Perseus with his wings, which might as well have been clubs as they battered the demon's body.

"So he told you to kill Orion, too?!" Percy raised his cloven hooves and slammed Alfie in the chest, probably breaking some of his ribs. It was painful to fight his twin, but not only physically. Mentally, he was breaking down. This was someone he'd strove to protect, someone he'd been loyal to until the bitter end, someone who he risked raising the entirety of the demon species in order to bring him back, and now that was getting thrown back into his face. Sure, he and Alfie had had their occasional scuffles, but never like this. Perseus knew he was going to be weakened by blood loss, the gash on his zebra head's neck a particularly worrisome injury, but he had to keep going on, had to kill Alfie if it meant surviving. He'd thought his brother was different, but now he was working for Cain. _The_ Cain. The Father of Murder. It explained his "long walks", and there was no doubt in his mind that Lilith was working for Cain, too, which also explained why they'd never been ambushed much when they were together, even though Lilith would've sent every one of their brothers and sisters to hunt them down.

Under it all, it was all Cain.

He hoped that he survived as Alfie recovered and lunged once more.


	27. Glori Patri

**(A/N) Thanks for all the completely awesome support you guys are giving me. I'm thankful. This might be the last chapter, and I'm unwilling to do an epilogue for…reasons. I'm sorry that I just announced this now, but that's how the chapter is looking. I love you all and I hope you enjoyed the Darkness is Singing.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

It was all too soon that they heard another ear-shattering roar rip through the air, so powerful that the leaves on the trees shook and quaked with the force of it. Nico wouldn't handle another demon, he was too exhausted, and he could see that his comrades felt likewise. The demon they'd been ganging up on had long since got bored of toying with them and was now actually trying to slaughter them, which was ten times worse considering that she'd nearly taken Will's head off when she was just "playing". She swiped at them once more with her claws, having raked Nico across the cheek earlier, the wound burning and stinging as blood dripped down his face and soaked into his shirt. The scent pf blood must've driven her into a frenzy, because now she was a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and snake eyes. Jason swung at her with his sword, but she was too fast, dodging out of the way, and the only thing that kept her from leaping on top of Jason and tearing him to shreds was the fact that Will had severed her hand from her body.

She yelped, more out of astonishment than anything else, and clutched the bleeding stump as the hand slowly began to grow back. Will quickly swabbed the blood off of his dagger as it began to smoke and steam from the demon's blood, and he managed to get it all off before any real damage was done. The look in her eyes was absolutely murderous as she turned to the son of Apollo slowly, and the pit that had formed in Nico's stomach almost made him forget about the approaching demon, until a shadow fell over the entire clearing. There was a gasp and all commotion seemed to stop, even Perseus and Alpheus ceased their savage ripping and tearing at one another, and Nico looked up to see the one thing that he'd been unconsciously desperate for since the quest began.

"Whaddup, losers!" Leo shouted from Festus' back as the metal dragon hovered in midair, the beat of his wings like the pounding of a huge heartbeat. His Celestial bronze body was nearly blinding to look at in the slowly dimming sky, and he was clearly glowing from the inside. Nico looked at Jason to see his eyes softening, crinkling at the corners as Piper stood up and waved, with Annabeth, Calypso, Frank, and Hazel in tow. The original Seven plus Annabeth and Calypso. It couldn't've been better. The newcomers' eyes widened when they saw the demons in their true forms, and Nico was pretty sure that Perseus' zebra head winked at Annabeth, who rolled her eyes, but they soon recovered and drew their weapons.

That seemed to spur the fight back into motion as Alpheus leapt upon Perseus, who screeched and gauged at the eyes of his brother's dragon head, efficiently blinding it. Then he was pretty sure that Perseus' zebra head whistled, because out of nowhere a huge black mass the size of a tank just appears, and Nico gasped to see the hugest fucking hellhound he had ever seen. Its eyes glowed red and foam dripped from its mouth as it charged towards Alpheus, who was apparently attacking its master, however another whistle had the beast was deflected, bounding over to the demigods. They did the normal thing and scattered like ants, but surprisingly the demon wasn't fast enough, and she was effectively squashed by a huge furry body. A chorus of cries echoed from the surrounding forests and a horde of demons swept towards them in a torrent of biting, slashing bodies, and Nico felt resigned. This was it

"You guys go!" Perseus' dragon head hissed as his panther head sunk its fangs into the neck of Alpheus' zebra head, thrashing from side to side until it was almost ripped clean off. The green light of its six eyes continued to glow, and it apparently was still functioning, but Nico could see the blood spurting from the wound. "Mrs. O'Leary and your friends can take it from here!"

"But what about the tiny fact that we can't kill demons?!" Will shrilled, his hands trembling as he watched Festus touch down and begin to blowtorch the horde of demons that swarmed him, trying and failing to penetrate his powerful armor. Those who tried to use their blood to melt it were faced with the problem that, because Festus' skin was so hot, it immediately evaporated before the corrosiveness could even graze it. Their bodies melted almost halfway from the mechanical dragon's flames before the sludge remolded itself, and it must've hurt like a bitch, but Nico couldn't really find it in him to care.

"Do you remember the symbols on Orion's knife?" Perseus called, his voice nearly drowned out by the rage of battle. "Those weren't really to call the Hunters. It makes it so that the knife can kill demons!" Before he could say more, a sickening yowl was torn from his throat as Alpheus ripped off one of his major wings, and it was shredded by the whirl of teeth, claws, swords, fire, and feet before it even hit the ground. They slipped out of sight, and Nico was unsure of who was winning or not, and that made him worried. He'd have to worry about Perseus' well-being later, though. Right now, they had a job to do, and he was unsure of why Perseus had withheld the information until now, but there was a resigned look in his eyes, something that spoke of someone greeting death like an old friend, and Nico could only pray that the demon didn't die. Then they'd have no one, and he had to admit, he'd grown on him, and he hated the fact that he couldn't sense the death lingering on him. It didn't work with monsters and the like.

"C'mon, let's go!" Jason called, and before Nico could object, before Nico could tell them that this was such a fucking bad idea, he dashed off into the cave, with Will hot on his heels. Nico took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness, trying not to think about Tartarus. That place had made him fear the underground, if only slightly. Even though it was his father's realm, he still couldn't stand plunging head first into a dark, enclosed, underground place where he _knew_ the big baddies were living. It was suicide, but he decided that it was better than letting Lilith take over the world and herd humans into slaughter houses to be canned and shipped to grocery stores. The mere thought made him shiver from head to toe as he followed the faint light that came from his comrades' weapons, the light having long since faded behind them. With the night creeping in, Nico was surprised that there was any to begin with.

When they were finally sure that they weren't being followed, they slowed to a stop and huddled together in a tight circle. The sound of metal-on-metal gave Nico the heebie-jeebies as Will painstakingly carved out the symbols from Orion's knife onto their weapons, quickly making work of his bow and arrows and finally allowing his dagger to be engraved by Nico's sword.

҉҉ Ӝ ʘ

If there were any stragglers lingering in these depths, they'd undoubtedly heard them by now, however they weren't confronted by anyone, which made Nico nervous. His friends were on edge too, and he considered the fact that Perseus may be lying, that, even though he'd written a section of the demonic bible under the name Abaddon and had worked with them thus far, he was still out to kill them. They could only stew in their own juices, however, and their footsteps bounced off the walls and echoed countless times, making it seem like a whole group was walking with them. Nico kept periodically turning around to make sure that that wasn't the case, his gaze wary as it raked across the darkness beyond. The light from their weapons was dim, and it didn't help that demons had excellent eyes, especially in the dark. They were stilling ducks here; bears wandering into a huge trap that was waiting to swallow them whole. He couldn't really dwell on those thoughts without chickening out, running back up to the surface where the sounds of battle could clearly be heard. Festus roared, Hunters shouted, and weapons clashed. But there was something missing. Perseus and Alpheus no longer shrieked and screamed, and his friends seemed to notice this, too, because they stopped dead in their tracks.

Turning slowly, Nico was truly unsurprised to see a pair of glowing green viper eyes staring back at him. The only question was whether they were friendly or not. Jason leveled his sword at the intruder, and the dim light illuminated the sharp planes of Perseus' face as he grinned, though it was completely and utterly forced. Nico didn't blame him, and even though it wasn't uttered aloud, he knew that Perseus had just killed his brother. The brother that the whole world knew he would give anything for. The one who'd betrayed him.

"Glad you're okay," Nico managed, his voice hoarse as he regarded the demon, who was naked except for a pair of bloodstained boxers that sagged on his waist. "What's with your lack of clothing?"

"It got ripped off," Perseus replied simply, and his voice sounded…odd. It was Perseus' voice, but it didn't sound like Perseus. He had a certain way of speaking that Nico had begun to associate with the demon and this certainly wasn't it. Then again, it also sounded as if he was trying to get used to using his voice again. It must've been hard to transition from speaking in his true form to speaking in his human form. He decided to cut the demon some slack. He'd just lost his brother, and for the first time the son of hades could relate to the demon; he'd lost his sister. Sure, he hadn't killed her, but a part of him always blamed himself for not being there for her when the Automaton crushed her, for not going there in her stead. He'd had to watch as his sister smiled at him for the last time, giving him the Hades figure that had activated the whole thing, and plunged into the huge robot. She'd died because of him. He couldn't dwell on Bianca's memory, however, because there was currently a demon apocalypse going on and it wasn't just going to wait around for Nico to have his deep emotional moment.

"Let's move out," Jason announced, and the four of them set off down the dark passage, with the demon in the lead. He'd obviously been there before, never hesitating as he turned corners and chose paths when they split in two, three, and even four different ways. It didn't take long until Nico was hopelessly lost, and he wished he'd brought Hazel and her freaky sense of direction underground. She was up on the surface fighting, and this could possibly her last fight. He could lose another sister…

 _No, don't think. Just move_ , he told himself and trained his eyes on the small of Will's back, where the weakness of his Achilles curse had been. He wanted to go up to the son of Apollo and hold his hand, because he was terrified as all fuck and really needed some TLC from his boyfriend, and he was pretty sure that that feeling was reciprocated, but Will needed both hands in case he had to draw his bow, and Nico cursed his father Apollo for being the god of archery and not one-handed fighting instruments. With the lack of Will's hand to hold, he turned to the grip of his trusty Stygian iron sword, which, instead of glowing gold like Jason and Will's weapons, glowed a sinister purple. Nico could see why others had thought of it as creepy, and he was starting to get a little creeped out himself, though over the course of his time with it he'd witness the glow going from a depressed mauve to a less depressing but still creepy lilac, which he could only suppose was due to his lift in overall mood; now that he had Will, he never truly was sad. Even now, he wasn't sad. Just terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.

Perseus was eerily silent. Even when he and Will had been riding on the demon's back in his true form, he'd still maintained some air of humor, but this time he was quiet. Sullen. This was a very important mission, Nico supposed, and there was absolutely no time for jokes. Besides, the demon was probably heartbroken at the moment, with no place for humor when the loss of his identical twin was so overwhelming. Nico had to applaud his ability to keep going; Bianca's death had rendered him numb and depressed, and it took a few days at the least before he could even do anything but eat, drink, shit, and sleep.

"So, what are we facing, here?" Nico managed to ask, unwilling to tear the demon out of his mourning but desperate to have some idea of what they were up against.

"I found out…from Alfie, or course," his voice was bitter as he said the name, "that Cain had employed him when he was in Hell."

"Cain?" Will asked, horror-struck, and Nico could see how much his dagger was shaking. Nico could only hope that they would be steadier when his boyfriend was taking aim with his bow; he didn't want his boyfriend to accidently shoot himself or him, Jason, and Perseus. That would be unfortunate for all of them, but mostly the demon; he just finished killing his brother in order to save the demigods, only to be killed by one of them. The thought made the purple glow of his sword darken, becoming more somber. "Like, _Cain_ Cain _?_ "

"Indeed. And Lilith has been working for him, too. He wasn't within the contract of…my deal with the gods, so he wasn't raised from Hell. She, they, were currently working on raising him up. Even though he was a human, he was made a monster by the mark that God put upon him, so even if he's weaker, he's almost as powerful as demons themselves. He's smart, too, and would make a very decisive leader," Perseus inhaled sharply, avoiding everyone's eyes as he stared at his folded hands. "They…they'd been planning on raising him and then weaving into the human masses. He'd work his way up until he had a credible influence, perhaps President, and then he'd tighten his hold and they'd take over. The US treasury will have enough money to pay for the breeding farms and slaughter houses that they were planning to build. They would summon him via ritual using the ones hidden in the Demonic Bible. Alfie…well, he stole one from a top secret facility and made off with it. It also contained those symbols," he gestured to the ones on their swords, "but every demon has dedicated them to memory."

"So what does this ritual need?" Jason asked.

"Three sacrifices. All demigods of the Big Three," Perseus replied, his voice hard. "I'd worked for them before they set out to kill me, and I found out that you and Nico were supposed to be two of the three sacrifices. That's why I didn't kill you the minute I saw you; I had to bring you back alive. They wanted to lure Nico's sister in as well, and I was supposed to get her, too, before I bailed. Will was supposed to be executed, but I insisted that I keep him as a sort of feeder, I suppose. They bought it."

"Wow…" Nico breathed. He had no idea how much effort the demon had been putting in from the sidelines, how much he owed the demon. Perseus was sacrificing everything for them, or at least for their cause, and Nico was keen to note that he should be honored in some way if they made it out of this ordeal alive, with 'if' being the key word in that sentence.

"They also needed the heart of a basilisk and the hide of a hellhound," it was at that moment that Perseus' hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, let out a particularly vicious bellow that made the cave tremble. Nico added the fact that he was also endangering one of his best friends for tis cause as well; only God knows how long he and that hellhound had been companions. Everything was smacking around in Nico's head, even when he was trying to wipe it clean, and he could only bear it as they trekked through the tunnel, still unchallenged. "The rest of the demons are in the meeting room, performing the ritual. I'll take Lilith, you guys get the cronies."

"But aren't you injured?" Will asked worriedly. The wounds on your true form don't transfer to the human form, do they?"

"They do," Perseus replied through clenched teeth, and at that single moment Nico could hear the agony in his voice, but it was gone as soon as it had come. "But I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? My father is the god of healing, I can help-"

"That's not needed!" Perseus snapped, a little too forcefully as his green eyes blazed. He seemed to calm himself down, taking a deep breath and saying, "But thanks for the offer." Will didn't reply, just scrutinized the demon through narrowed eyes, as if trying to dissect him and reveal all of his secrets. There wasn't a payout, however, because the son of Apollo dropped the subject altogether, which he wouldn't've done had he had another argument.

Instead, he whispered, "I hope the others heard you. About the symbols thing, I mean."

"Trust me, they heard. I made sure of it."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

And then they were standing somewhere that seemed like a dead end but, when the lights of their weapons ere shined on it, was clearly not a dead end if one noted the huge ten-foot, arched wooden doors that lay before them. The brass handles looked incredibly heavy, each one of the rings held by a snarling dragon head, and the wood was scoured with claw marks.

"Family troubles," Perseus explained wryly when he caught the three demigods staring, especially at the shady dark stains that littered the floor as well, though his green eyes finally gained back some of that spark of humor. "C'mon."

"No plan?" Nico squeaked, his grip on his sword growing white-knuckled. "We're just going to march in there and demand they cooperate? Hazel is up on the surface and, if you haven't forgotten, Jason and I are children of the Big Three! We're just completing the ritual! What are the rules of this game you're playing?"

"Don't die," Perseus replied bluntly and then he was throwing the doors open, swaggering inside and leaving the demigods no choice but to follow. Needless to say, the room looked incredibly satanic. Pentagrams and symbols that Nico couldn't even identify littered the walls, floor, and ceiling, sprayed on with red spray paint, judging by the empty bottles stashed in the corner. The black candles placed meticulously around the perimeter of certain symbols lit the room particularly well, giving it an eerie glow and outlining the silhouettes of the five figures huddled in the center. Their red robes made it look like they were a flower unfurling as they turned to face the four intruders, their snake eyes glowing from under their hoods.

"Hello, mummy!" Perseus announced, his voice jam packed with so much bravado that Nico couldn't tell whether he was faking it or not. Was he really that confident about facing off against his own, more powerful mother and four of his siblings? Would he even want to kill more family members after he killed Alfie? "Off on your little escapades, I see?"

"Belial," a very familiar female voice growled, and Nico could only assume that this was Lilith. Fury began to rise up, nearly consuming his thoughts. This was the bitch who'd killed Dakota and practically _eaten_ Amalthea, two innocents who didn't deserve what she'd given them. She was the one who forced them into this entire situation, and if she hadn't grouped the demons together there wouldn't've been a problem.

"Wasn't his name Abaddon?" Jason whispered to him, and Nico shrugged.

"Maybe he has more than one name," he replied, hating the fact that they were basically awkward bystanders during this entire conversation. Despite this, he really couldn't envy the demon, who had taken the spotlight, and Nico was glad to stay in the darkness for this one, especially when it came to communing with super psychotic demons.

"You haven't changed your name like your stupid brother, have you?" she scoffed. "How is he, by the way? Oh wait, he's dead because you killed him." Oof, that was a low blow, and even Nico knew it. Perseus visibly flinched.

"You gave me no choice," his voice wavered, but his fists were balled at his sides, blood beginning to drip onto the floor from where his claws had formed and were digging into his palms. Nico wanted to tell him to stop, that it wouldn't benefit him in the long run, but he remained silent, knowing that this was not the right time. "He would've never forgiven me. I had to kill him."

"So what, you and your petty little friends will try to kill me? They're practically useless, you know, but I could put the blond one with the scar and the black haired one to good use, no?" Lilith removed her hood to reveal her wicked fangs. Her pupils were mere slivers in her blue irises and her claws were completely unsheathed, long black talons that curved in. Her blood red hair made her all the more eerie. "My son, you were so very loyal before. It seemed like only a few moments ago you were willing to kill for me, what changed?" Perseus opened his mouth for a scathing reply, but Lilith silenced him with a wave of her hand. "Never mind, I don't care. Cain will take the two I just mentioned," she turned to her lackeys, "so don't kill them. Kill the other blond, though. He's useless."

With a wild roar, Perseus bellowed and charged, and the demigods took that as their cue.

All at once the room was alive with the sounds of battle as the four demons charged at the demigods while Lilith and Perseus became locked in that deadly dance that their kind fought in. Will retreated to the back corner, drawing his bow and arrows, and Nico was glad that they were more focused on him and Jason to care much for the son of Apollo. At least his boyfriend was safe…for now. A demon with gold eyes that reminded him chillingly of Kronos swung first, and Nico was only barely able to duck the lightning-fast movement, though he was pretty sure that a few hairs on his head were shaved off. It was an unfair battle, with the four demon splitting up to take on Jason and Nico, two versus one. The son of Hades had to keep track of two demons at once, and most of his movements were dodging rather than swinging, because they were just _too fast._

They were laughing, jeering at them and calling them helpless, saying how Cain would love the taste of their blood as his first meal in the over world. They were like the other demons, toying with him. They weren't even trying, and that was what would be their downfall. They weren't the big fish in the pond, weren't the unfillable machine they were before. Now they were vulnerable, and it was so amusing to see that they didn't know of that fact. When they finally found out, their cries of horror were music to Nico's ears. A demon that had been teasing Jason suddenly face planted into the ground, about five arrows protruding from his neck, and when he didn't stir they began to panic.

Nico began to get swings in as their movements became more fearful. A nick on one's cheek, a long gash on another's collar bone. As if they were attracted by one another's gravity, the two children of the Big Three were suddenly at one another's side, hacking and slashing and stabbing in a deadly mix of Greek and Roman fighting tactics. The demons resorted to circling warily, and Nico and Jason went back to back as they regarded the three remaining ones cautiously, knowing that letting their guard down meant certain death. These guys were faster than you could ever imagine, and the only reason they were alive right now were their inhuman abilities that came with being demigods.

Out of his peripheral vision he could see Lilith and Perseus fighting like, well, demons. They looked like dragons had taken a human form, and were tearing chunks out of one another's flesh with their teeth, their claws tearing any skin they came into contact with to ribbons. Nico would've laughed, considering that from very, very far away it would look like they were making out (which was incest-y), but no, they ere really killing each other. The best part was that it looked like Perseus was winning. Lilith may be the first, but Perseus was faster. Stronger. He was Demon 2.0, and he was kicking major ass. Nico was proud to know him.

His sword swung in a deadly arc as a demon darted in for a poorly-planned attack, one arrow protruding from his back, and his head was effectively sliced in half. It was unintentionally some Mortal Combat shit, and Nico wanted to puke when he saw the…um…halves of the guy's head. It was fucking horrifying. Jason hacked down one trying to flee out the doors, slicing a neat path down his jugular, and the wound spurted until the demon as dead on the floor, and the other was left to fall to Will's arrows. It was glorious, if a bit morbid, and they turned to see Perseus snapping Lilith's neck as the demon crumbled to the floor.

"Populations should even out after this," he told them nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just murdered his own mother, wiping his bloodstained hands on his soggy red boxers. It didn't help considering, they were _soaked_ up to his goddamn wrists in crimson. "I can hear them killing each other out there. The string's sort of been cut, and now they're obliterating each other rather than the enemy." He grinned, and it seemed maniacal with all the blood smeared over his mouth and staining his serrated teeth. "Good job, guys, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Um…thanks?" Nico replied, and he and the two other demigods exchanged a weary look.

He really needed a nap.

-Ω-

The battle was over before they reached the surface. Scuff marks and demon blood had made the grass wither and die, making it look so much more like the battlefield that it was, rather than a cute, innocent clearing. The bodies littering the ground didn't help at all. Leo was checking Festus for injuries, though the metal dragon looked fine, and the Hunters were taking a head count, though many were sobbing and cradling unmoving girls in their arms. As soon as Will stepped out of the cave, Nico was on him, tackling him to the ground and kissing the daylights out of him. Piper mirrored his actions as she ran, to Jason, both who were soaked in the blood of what was hopefully others, though Jason boasted a cut on his forehead and quite the shiner on his right eye, though the daughter of Aphrodite didn't seem to care as she hugged him tight and captured her lips in his.

Will still couldn't believe that it was all over. That they'd won. Nico's body slotted easily against his and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend tightly, never wanting to let go. Some red-eyed Hunters were glaring at them for making out in their presence, especially since the other couples had gotten the same idea, though Calypso had insisted that she and Leo break apart so she could tend to people's injuries, which were mostly demon-blood burns. Perseus sat to the side quietly, his gaze trained on a huge, mangled corpse that was tucked into the trees. Will felt a pang of raw sympathy for the demon as a silent tear streaked down his face, and he padded over to the unrecognizable body. It was covered in blood, with one and a half wings missing, and its zebra head was hanging on by a thread.

Alpheus.

Even though the guy had deserved what had come to him, betraying them and all, Will was so sad that he had to push Nico away, and despite the son of Hades' protests at first, the black-haired boy quieted when he followed Will's gaze, where the demon was now in the process of digging a grave. And a large one, at that. Everyone's eyes seemed to be trained on the demon, who was now crying profusely as he continued to dig with his claws at his only spades, but everyone knew better than to offer help. This was Perseus' way of coping. Of mourning. The least he could do was dig his own twin brother a grave. What an awful thing. At least Nico and the others who'd lost parents usually never had any remains to bury, and at least they hadn't had to kill their loved ones for the greater good.

They regrouped, talking softly out of respect for a few hours, doing a final head count to find that only four Hunters had lost their lives and everyone else wasn't hurt mortally. Wounds were cleaned and bandaged. Different sides of the story were exchanged. Small funerals were held for the Hunters who'd lost their lives, and Artemis was apparently listening as their bodies dispersed into stars that dissipated almost as quickly as they'd come. Everyone tried not to pay attention to the demon dragging his brother's body into the deep hole, tried to ignore the way he'd finished packing up all the dirt by sunrise, tried to turn the other cheek to the two sticks tied together with God-knows-what, forming a makeshift cross that Perseus stabbed into the ground at the head of the grave. Unmarked. Uninteresting. Would probably rot away with time. Will sent a prayer to Demeter to make sure that that didn't happen, but he didn't receive any response, though he swore the two sticks flashed gold for a moment before returning to regular old sticks. Perseus didn't see. He had his head buried in his hands.

Finally, everyone was becoming restless, but nobody was willing to tear the demon away from the grave. Everyone there knew the terrible feeling that came with losing someone you love, and finally Will got the nerve to pick his way over the bodies and towards Perseus, who hadn't moved from his kneeling position at the edge of the newly-packed dirt since he'd finished the grave.

"We're going to go," he said softly. The demon didn't look up. "You can go do…whatever you want to do, but just know that you're a hero and that your name will go down in history. If you ever need someone to talk to…just call." The demon still didn't reply, and Will took that as his signal to leave, waving to the others. The demigods piled onto Festus' back as the Hunters gave a final goodbye (Will found Jason and Thalia's hug incredibly endearing), and retreated into the cover of the trees to go hunt a new monster, while also regulating demons who've become more savage than usual. Will knew that this wasn't the last they'd see of Perseus, but he couldn't help but feel as if he was abandoning the demon as the clearing became nothing more than a speck in the distance.

Whatever, he was going to have hot sex with Nico when they got back to the Hades cabin, judging from the predatory look in his boyfriend's gaze. He tried to pretend everything was fine, but he couldn't help but look back, hoping that the demon would be able to move on.

-Ω-

The demon sat with his brother until the sunset after everyone had left, partly to mourn and feel that overbearing guilt and partly to make sure that they were well and truly gone. He gazed around warily, noting the crows that had braved his presence that had descended to pick at the remains of the demons. This place would be a feasting ground when he finally left, but he knew that the animals wouldn't touch the precious thing that lay five feet beneath the dirt. When he was finally sure that he was alone, his body began to change back to the form he'd originally taken. His arms and legs shortened, his muscles turned to baby fat, and he shrank about three feet, the boxers promptly sliding off and pooling around his ankles. He was a five year old.

Alpheus looked one more time at the grave, sending one last prayer to his brother, and was gone.

He left the darkness to sing their hymns and odes to Perseus and fill the silence.


	28. Epilogue

**THESE SHALLOW GRAVES**

Nobody ever found out that it was Alpheus who'd killed Lilith, that it was Alpheus who had helped the good guys prevail. Perseus hadn't stepped foot off of the battlefield, had never went to go meet the demigods in the cavern. He'd been dead by then. Perhaps the demon had had a change of heart after he'd killed his brother, and perhaps that was the reason why he'd shifted into a form that was about the age of Perseus, masquerading as his identical twin, which would explain why he didn't fight Lilith in his true form; they would've seen the difference in fur length. Alpheus' true name is, indeed, Belial, since Lilith's incredible sense of smell made it capable of her to discern the difference between the twins. Of course, it would be easy enough to say that Alpheus disappeared off the face of the Earth, that he never showed his face again, but in doing so it would be terribly wrong

Jason and Piper occasionally see a disembodied shadow flit in and out of their apartment on certain days, doing nothing more than looking and then leaving, as if it were checking up on them. They always assumed that it was Nico. Something went terribly wrong during the War Games, something that the medical eagles couldn't get to in time; a young probatio had toppled off the side of the fort, plunging to what was almost certainly her death, but when everyone ran over to what they supposed was her crumpled body, they found her unconscious but still alive and breathing, and many claimed they saw a super-fast specter swoop out from the shadows and catch her in midair, disappearing as soon as it had come. Again, many assumed that it had been Nico, and the son of Hades was more than confused when people hugged him tightly and thanked him for saving the girl's life.

Speaking of Nico, he and Will moved to the cities, and their neighbor just so happened to be a kind, warm-hearted woman by the name of Sally Jackson. She was childless, having divorced her pig-headed husband Gabe a long time ago, and she kept lamenting to them about how wonderful it would be to have children, though she still had yet to adopt or artificially inseminate, and she was hesitant to do both. In return for babysitting their daughter (and saving her from a rabid hydra without knowing it), they left at her door a cradle embellished with shells. Inside was a son of Poseidon whose mother had died giving birth to him, and the god had taken his son to Camp Half-Blood to be raised. Not for nothing, but the campers were shit parents, still young and training, and Sally seemed like the perfect mom. The mortal had rushed over to them at once, boasting a swaddled little baby and beaming. She asked them what she should name him, fretting over the fact that she hadn't had time to think of a name, and they took one look at his startling green eyes and replied, "Perseus."

Though the murder rate for mortals had inclined drastically over the last few years, the demon population had suddenly plummeted drastically, and small miracles were beginning to happen. A little girl watched in a mix of delight and horror as a lightning fast shadow plucked her dog from oncoming traffic and placed it in her arms before disappearing. A woman screeched to a halt when she saw a green-eyed boy standing in the street, only to get out of her car and find the boy missing and a deer leaping across the street, one that she would've hit (and the impact may have killed her) had she not stopped earlier. The Reticulated python outbreak in the Everglades was suddenly nonexistent after a visit from a Kindergarten field trip, one that held a boy that nobody knew the name to and thoroughly avoided.

Leo and Calypso were nearly killed when Festus malfunctioned and went spiraling to the ground from a mile into the sky, only to find the dragon halt about four feet from the ground and then collapse, as if he'd been placed down gently.

Annabeth received an apology letter from an anonymous person, who felt guilty for supposedly killing a suitor, yet nobody was missing from the camp, though people did point fingers at Harley since they'd seen a particularly small person slipping into the Athena cabin that night, though the Hephaestus had adamantly denied it.

Sally's Perseus grew up to be almost as much of a hero as Nico and Will, and it was startling just how much like the real Perseus was, and they nearly summoned him to accuse him of impersonating a baby, though the demon was still off the radar.

Maybe Perseus achieved Elysium and decided to rebirth, and perhaps Alpheus knew that, considering the son of Poseidon never seemed to be challenged by monsters; in fact, no monsters were ever detected within a mile radius of the demigod, but that's only a theory; it's up to you whether you want to believe it or not.


End file.
